A short guide about Roman Forum
The Roman Forum or more often called by the Romans as the Forum Romanum, the Forum Magnum, or just the Forum; was the central area around which ancient Rome developed, and where commerce and the administration of justice took place. The communal hearth was also located there and it was built on the site of a past cemetery.
Originally the area had been built up from marshy ground, which was drained by the orders of the king of Rome; Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, using the Cloaca Maxima - which was one of the world's earliest sewage systems. Constructed in ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world's most populous cities, it carried effluent to the Tiber River, which ran beside the city. Sediment, eroded from the surrounding hills had begun to raise the level of the forum in early Republican times and sequences of travertine paving (made from sedimentary rock) are still visible.
The forum, which was the heart of the city, started out as an open marketplace, but gradually it became more adorned with basilicas and temples. This was the area where public life manifested itself, and to be remembered in history all you needed to do was donate a building to the city on the forum. It was also the place gladiator games were held before the establishment of amphitheatres. The build up of old forums had became quite chaotic with its additions to public and private buildings, and the expanding city needed a larger centre. So in time, Julius Caesar initiated the building of the first Imperial Forum, of which four were to follow, built by his successors.
As you browse through Tourabout’s catalogue of holiday packages to Italy, you’ll find that most tours to the Roman Forum include a visit to all the monuments that remain standing, some of these include; the Capitol, the Colosseum, the Imperial Fora and the Palatine. Here also you can find the Arch of Triumph of Titus, the big Basilica of Maxentius, the Temple of Antonino and Faustina and the Temple of Saturn. Most of these tours have guides chosen for their expert knowledge and passion, so create a shortlist of your holiday style, and click on the supplier of your choice for more detail