The Roman Forum
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by Michael Anderson in Rome
26 Oct 2017
45min
 1mi
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About the audio tour
The Roman Forum is a treasure chest filled with history. Long a gathering place for the Roman tribes, the forum evolved with the city to become its seat of government. This process started 2700 years ago and continued for over a millennium.
Through the ups and downs of all these years, buildings were destroyed and replaced, turning the forum into a temporally eclectic museum, where artefacts from prehistory are found beside Renaissance palaces.
Join writer and historian Michael Anderson in imagining the passage of time here, where Caesar was assassinated and Cicero made speeches that echo through to the present. He'll connect you to the successes and failures of Rome, which is also a way of connecting with the with the civilizations that have inherited its culture.
Major Landmarks
The Senate House, Temple of Vesta, House of the Vestal Virgins, Arch of Titus
Directions to starting point
Start at the ticket booth off the Via Dei Fori Imperiali. You'll see a small road named Largo Della Salara Vecchia. It's on the left if you are walking away from the Colosseum.
Tips
Places to stop along the way:
The forum does not have any services inside so taking bottled water is a good idea.
Best time of day:
The Roman Forum opens at 8:30 every day and closes at different times seasonally, normally one hour before sunset. At the time of publishing, these were as follows:
* Last Sunday of October to 15 February: last admission at 15.30 - exit at 16.30
* 16 February to 15 March: last admission at 16.00 - exit at 17.00
* 16 March to last Saturday of March: last admission at 16.30 - exit at 17.30
* Last Sunday of March to 31 August: last admission at 18.15 - exit at 19.15
* 1 September to 30 September: last admission at 18.00 - exit at 19.00
*1 October to last Sunday of October: last admission at 17.30 - exit at 18.30
The forum is closed 1 January, 1 May, and 25 December.
Precautions:
In summer, wear a hat if you are heat sensitive, or try to avoid the forum in the middle of the day. There is very little shade.
You'll also do a lot of walking on stone, so sturdy shoes are recommended.
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