There is a very unique part of Roman history that you will want to visit between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill near Rome. The Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum, may be one of the most ambitious archaeological projects of all time. By way of background, long before the first century AD, this area known as the Roman Forum was the premier political and cultural hot bed for the Roman Empire.

This amazing Forum took hundreds of years to build but by the seventh century BC it was already in place as a major part of Roman culture. It was Octavian, Julius Caesar’s son, who saw the Forum reach its final form early in the 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 infamous fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, the Roman Forum went into decay due to lack of upkeep. By the time the Middle Ages came along, farmers grazing their cattle on the site had little awareness of the significance of the site. It wasn’t until the Renaissance that historians discovered the Forum again. A project to restore and repair the Roman Forum was undertaken in the 18th century and that project is still active to this day.

Today if you did get to tour the restored parts of the Roman Forum, the greatness of those buildings would be evident in the vast assortment of buildings.

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.

To get an idea of the ambitious scale that the Romans always brought to projects of this size, one just has to look at the “Temple of Venus and Roma”. This massive temple in the Forum was designed and built by Emperor Hadrian himself, and from a vantage point on a tall plateau, it has a perfect view of the majestic Colosseum.

Just as impressive is the Temple of Concord. In 367 this temple that was dedicated to peace took its place in the western quadrant of the Forum. At the peak of the Forum’s glory, this temple was full of expensive statues made of silver and gold. Even after restoration today, it is striking evidence of the skills and abilities of the Roman builders.

There are literally dozens of fascinating buildings to see, including the Temples to Saturn, Pollux and Castor on the grounds of the Forum. These beautiful temples, along with many other useful buildings of the Forum, are a testimony not only to the vision of Rome but to the ability of the Roman people to carry out large projects such as this one.

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.

Politicians of modern times still like to make speeches from The Rostra in the Roman Forum. If you take a moment on your visit to stand under the Rostra, you may feel time slip away and for a moment you are standing there in those ancient times. Another site not to miss is a shrine known as the Black Stone or the “Lapis Niger” because it is another example of the creative abilities of Roman architects. The Via Sacra shrine is also another example of their amazing abilities.

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.