The Forum
The Forum Romanum was the center of life in imperial Rome, evidenced by the many remains of triumphal arches, temples and basilicas.
Forum Romanum seen from the CapitolHistory
Until 509 BC, when Rome became a republic, the city was reigned by an Etruscan dynasty of Tarquin Kings. They built a sewer, the 'Cloaca Maxima', to drain water from the marshlands of the valley between the Palatine, Capitol and Esquiline hills to the Tiber river. Ever since, the area was the center of activity in Rome. Scale model of the Forum RomanumIt was the site of the first forum. Here, triumphal processions took place, elections were held and the Senate assembled.
The Forum