Why was palatine hill built

The Palatine is next to the Roman Forum and Colosseum, and a ticket for one site includes admission to the other two, so it makes sense to visit at least two sites on the same day. The story of the Palatine begins with its myths and legends. The remains of this hut, which was venerated by the Romans and repeatedly restored over the centuries, can still be seen on the south western corner of the Palatine today.

Legends aside, the Palatine undoubtedly has ancient origins. According to some estimates, there were human settlements on the hill as early as the 10th century BC.

The historian Livy claimed that the Palatine was the home of the first Romans, and for centuries it was regarded as one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city. The Palatine was desirable for a number of reasons — the mythical associations, the central location, the spectacular views of the city, the cooler temperatures in the summer, and the cleaner air.

The residents of the Palatine got the best of both worlds, living in the center of the city without having to endure the noise and dirt of the streets below. During the Republican era , many wealthy Romans lived in luxurious villas on the Palatine. These emperors are responsible for most of the impressive ruins we see today, including the Flavian Palace, the Stadium of Domitian, and the House of Augustus.

Other vast constructions, such as the Temple of Apollo built on the orders of Augustus , and the mysterious decorative building known as the Septizodium , have disappeared, hardly leaving a trace of their existence. In the Middle Ages various churches and convents were built on the hill, and in the Renaissance the Farnese family used part of the Palatine for their private botanical gardens.

After the Renaissance, the Palatine remained largely untouched, until it was opened to the public as an archaeological site. The Palatine plays an integral part in the myths and history of Rome.

A fire-breathing giant named Cacus once lived in a cave the Palatine or so they say! This ferocious cannibal would regularly terrorize the residents of the neighboring Aventine Hill, until he was finally defeated by the hero Hercules. Romulus the mythical founder of Rome and his twin brother Remus also lived in a cave on the Palatine.

They were discovered on the Palatine and raised by a she-wolf. You also have lots of views of Rome's tallest dome, St Peter's Basilica. Considering how much green space and garden areas cover the Palatine Hill, I think those are some pretty lucky bunnies! Take a look at my YouTube video if you want to see what it's like to see these special sites:.

The Palatine Museum is right at the top of the Palatine Hill. It is a pretty awesome place to visit all by itself. The Palatine Museum is divided into sections by era, starting with the earliest on the ground floor.

You can actually see through the floors to some ancient structures underneath, and you can see and touch some walls from original Ancient Roman structures there. I could easily spend an hour inside this museum. It's so rich with artefacts and amazing statues and remnants of ancient structures. I have barely shown you what's inside this museum. It's truly magnificent! Come see for yourself. Rome's 3rd emperor Caligula was supposedly stabbed to death here at the age of 28 on January 21, 41 CE.

Since Nero was Rome's 5th emperor, this passageway must have been built by a previous emperor like Tiberius, Rome's 2nd emperor. I'm guessing that it is today called the Neronian cryptoporticus probably because Nero rebuilt it for his own purposes. A cryptoporticus from the Greek crypta and porticus is a covered passageway. In the case of the Palatine Hill Rome, it refers to one that Nero built to connect his Domus Aurea to other palaces on the Palatine hill.

You can walk through this tunnel and imagine the emperor Caligula being stabbed to death in here. Rome's first emperor built his house on the Palatine Hill.

It was surely one of the most beautiful structures of its day, and we are lucky that today, so much of it is preserved. The paintings we see in these rooms are a perfect example of what is known as Second Style painting.

Second-Style painting was in vogue from around 80 BCE through the beginning of the first century CE, which included the time of Augustus and his wife Livia. The artist would have also used several "vanishing points" to create the illusion of a deep, 3-dimensional space on a flat wall. The tour of his house takes a little over half an hour. You need to either pre-book your visit you can do this at the gate or online when you purchase your SUPER ticket , or, you can just show up and wait for the next tour.

Tours go throughout the day that it's open, in Italian or English. Augustus and Livia had more than one house each. There is a famous site you can visit, called Livia's House at Prima Porta. But you can also visit the wonderful, under-visited museum of Palazzo Massimo alle Terme , where you can see amazing paintings, in fact, entire rooms, from Livia's house at Prima Porta. I highly recommend this visit. Livia was Augustus' second wife , and was the first Empress of Rome.

She had her own house, right next to that of Augustus. Here, on the Palatine Hill, you can visit her house, with a tour as you must with the House of Augustus. And, as with the House of Augustus, the frescoes are incredibly intact.

There is also an excellent light show that brings some of the paintings further to life. This tour takes about half an hour and is so worthwhile.

I can't recommend these enough, especially if you love Ancient Rome! The visit has two items, but they are sort of unrelated to each other. First is the Aula Isiaca, which means "Room of Isis", which was made during the time of Augustus, and has those 2nd style paintings I love so much. They depict, as you might imagine, paintings related to the Goddess Isis.

A loggia is, in this case, a roofed area attached to a house or villa. It's named "Mattei" in reference to the other wealthy Renaissance family besides the Farneses that owned land and built things on the Palatine Hill.

This round temple in the Roman Forum was dedicated at first to Romulus, the young son of the Emperor Maxentius. Romulus died as a child, and was deified, so this temple was thought to be to him. It's also referred to at the temple to Jupiter Stator.

You can also glimpse this temple from above if you visit the church of Santi Cosma e Damiano, which you can enter from the via dei Fori Imperiali. In the 5th century, around the time Christianity had really taken hold in the Roman Emprire, but also when the Roman Empire was in its decline, this church was built in the Roman Forum. The whole structure was buried in an earthquake in , which meant it was completely preserved and undisturbed until it was discovered in They didn't excavate for another few decades.

In , the church opened to the public. They call this church " the Sistine Chapel of the Medieval", and I find it astonishing. And because it's now only accessible with the S. So between the lack of crowds, and the music, and the stunning art, you really feel transported in time to this ancient church. In my opinion, the best way to visit the Palatine Hill your first time is with a guided tour. The area is huge, and as I said above, there is so much to see.

A good tour, and good tour guide, can help you focus on some of the most interesting parts, while giving you the info and background stories to tie it all together. Of course, with a tour, you will not see the SUPER sites , but you could visit those yourself, bu staying inside the Palatine after your tour finishes you just have to upgrade your entry ticket.

If you go on your own, you might consider getting the audio guide you can decide on-site , which actually comes on a sort of smart tablet, and includes some visual aides as well.

If you have been before, or are feeling adventurous and want to go on your own, I recommend starting your Ancient Rome visit here. First of all, it's the best place to purchase a ticket on-site, as there are almost never any lines, certainly not long lines.

Second of all, you will be high up, and can then make your way down into the Roman Forum. Then you can visit the Colosseum once you exit the Forum. The ticket you buy to enter the Palatine Hill is the same ticket to the Colosseum , and the same ticket to the Roman Forum. In other words, you buy one ticket for any of these sites, and they are all included.

Here's how it works:. Another legendary tale from the hill is that of Cacus, the fire breathing giant who lived in a cave on Palatine. Though the story goes that the hero Hercules defeated him, his name was given to the steps of Cacus, very near to the Hut of Romulus. Since Palatine Hill was widely considered to have been the very first place that people lived in Rome, it makes sense that it would then develop ahead of other areas to become the most prestigious neighborhood.

The original building belonged to an orator named Hortensio but it was rebuilt and expanded over the following years. During the construction of the House of Augustus, the building was struck by lightning which Augustus saw as a terrible omen. This led the Emperor to build the Temple of Apollo Palatinus in to appease the gods. The frescoes found within are stunning and many can still be viewed today.

The House of Livia was excavated in the 19 th Century. The frescos within depict mythological and nature scenes and are so intricate in detail and beautifully preserved that you can imagine what the rooms would have looked like in their prime. The Trevi Fountain Fontana di Trevi , the first fountain built during the Renaissance and the most beautiful fountain in Rome.

This monumental fountain was built by Nicola Salvi who surprised everyone with his amazing design: "a song to water and life" whose construction lasted 30 years. At the moment it remains a church besides being a monument that fulfills the function of real pantheon.

In its interior are the tombs of the first two kings of unified Italy besides the tomb of the Renaissance painter Raphael. Piazza Navona located in the heart of the medieval city and surrounded by narrow streets is presented in Baroque style with its three fountains built under the mandate of Gregory XIII Boncompagni.

The Casa delle Vestali, the Temple of Venus and Rome and Arcate Severiane close 30 minutes before the ordinary closing of the archaeological area.

Rampa Domizianea final section 60 minutes before. December 25, January 1. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum.