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submitted: Aug 10th 2008 | by: LeonKammer | Total views: 3 | Word Count: 763 | |

What may be one of the top archaeological locations in the world is located in a valley just between Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill in Italy, and it is known as the Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum. Even before the first century AD, this valley was a hot bed of political and cultural life for citizens of the Roman Empire.

It is hard to imagine that the original Roman Forum was under construction for 300 years but by the 7th century BC, it was central to everything important that happened in Roman culture. It finally reached a completed state under the reign of Julius Caesar's son Octavian, in the early first Century AD.

Because the Roman Forum consisted of not one but a dozen temples, arches and other buildings, it earned the right to also be called by many "The Great Forum" or Forum Magnum. The location was originally marsh land that the designers drained and utilized to build an important cultural melting pot for social interaction, legal discussions, political discourse and religious activities for royalty and citizens of Rome alike.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Roman Forum fell into decay and by the Middle Ages the area was little more than pasture land for cattle. It took the arrival of the Renaissance to see interest in the Forum come back to life. The site was discovered and excavated, and a restoration effort started in the 18th century that is still an ongoing work in progress.

But the restoration has been effective because walking around the vast complex of diverse structures, the glory of this facility can be appreciated.

Teams of volunteers and archaeologies have restored the paved streets and cleaned up the debris left by centuries of decay so the Forum can be enjoyed by you and I. But if you include the Roman Forum in your tourist plans, it will take more than a day to see this vast facility. But even a few hours at the site will give you a real feel for what life at the height of Rome's might must have been like.

The concept of "thinking big" that was typical of Roman designers of public buildings is certainly on display in the Forum in the "Temple of Venus and Roma." This vast temple which Emperor Hadrian designed and built is perched on a plateau with a perfect view of the Roman Colosseum.

Just as impressive as the Temple of Venus and Roma is the Temple of Concord. The temple that is dedicated to the principles of peace was built in the western quadrant of the Forum around 367 BC. This temple at one time held magnificent statues that were made with silver and gold. While those things are gone, the restored temple is still an inspiring reminder of the amazing abilities of the Roman builders.

There are dozens of other structures to explore in the Forum, including the Temples of Pollux, Saturn, Vepasian and Castor. When combined with the huge diversity of buildings, you can get a real feel for what the Roman architects and emperors wanted from this ambitious project. But the Forum is about so much more than just a collection of temples.

The arches that were invented by the Romans and that lined the streets and passageways of the Forum were so innovative that their design was not improved upon for many centuries. Look for the Arch of Titus as well as the Arch of Septimus Severus to give you a feel for the amazing design of these arches.

The political hopefuls of Roman times loved to use The Rostra to make speeches to state their qualifications and positions. In a lot of ways life back then is like today, which you can almost feel when you spend time in the Forum. One stunning shrine that shows off how creative Roman builders were is the Lapis Niger, otherwise known as the Black Stone. When you are at this shrine admiring its beauty, you can also visit the Via Sacra shrine which is connected to it.

To say you have really experienced Rome means that you have set aside some time to visit this amazing area of cultural life and inspect the amazing structures at the Roman Forum. As you stroll the walkways and take it all in, it may give you pause to reflect on all that man can achieve and all that can be lost just as easily.

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