Ancient Rome: Foro Romanum

Hello everyone,

I had forgotten to mention earlier that this blog is part of a course that I am taking called Histories of Architecture and Urbanism: The Urban Form and Its Role in Colonization. This blog is part of my assignment, where I have to discuss a given topic based on the readings and destination of the week. This week we embark on a fascinating journey to the ancient capital of Italy; Rome. Rome was one of the largest city metropolises in the ancient world where pilgrims, intellectuals and tourists flocked to and still visit till this day.  

With the help of Google maps and the Lonely Planet travel guide, I will take you through a virtual tour through the heart of ancient Rome. The Romans are recognised as one of the greatest civilizations that ever lived. They were a very ingenious society and many of their innovations are still being used in modern society such as the establishment of the republican government for example.

The forum was once an Etruscan burial ground transformed into a marketplace and finally into an economic, political and religious center. Much like the downtown in any city, the forum was composed of a gathering ground or courtyard, market place, temples, and administrative buildings. It is believed by academics that the forum was the first monument erected and that the rest of the city was built around it.

Unlike other forums constructed later on, the Roman Forum is more organic in shape which is reflected throughout the rest of Rome. There does not seem to be a distinct entry way, and although the streets seem very narrow which give the architecture a strong powerful presence, there is no prescribed processional way. Following the map on the screen, however, we will enter from the street Via dei Fori Imperiali, on the North-East end where it says entrance. On the right hand side is the Basilica Aemilia, built in 179 BC as a long rectangular public hall with a two-storey porticoes facade. The front of the Basilica would have been lined with shops. Opposite of the Basilica, it the Temple of Cesar, a small square structure built by Augustus in 29BC. On the left hand side of the Basilica heading towards Via Sacra is the Temple of Faustina and Antonius Pios built in 141AD. The structure was once dedicated to the empress Faustina and emperor Antonius Pios but in the 8^th century the building was converted into a church. Today, this beautiful structure and its soaring columns are called the Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Miranda.  Heading towards the very far right of Via Sacra is another monument, The Triumphal Arch of Septimus Severus, erected in 203AD it stands 23meters high. This arch was dedicated to the Roman victory over the Parthians.

As we can plainly see on the map there are a lot of structures clustered into this forum. Although we will not be exploring each and every one of them, it is obvious that they were all constructed at different times by different rulers. Some of them were even redecorated to fit the taste of later emperors.

The architecture and its lay-out really say much about the people who reside within its walls. Their grandiose scale and use of polished material and fine marbles reflect the richness and power of the state. The facts that the streets are not perfectly squared and regulated to a prescribed plan reflect the Roman idea that their people are free and equal.