Rome Explorations: The Ancient Rome Walking Tour
()
About this ebook
This book is meant to provide a thorough tour of the
ancient Roman ruins and sites of the modern city of Rome.
It is not an all-inclusive guidebook; I do not include
restaurant, hotel or transportation information. You should
augment this tour guide with other Italy and Rome guides
from reputable authors and publishers. While detailed
walking directions and some maps of the important areas on the tour are included, a detailed map of the city is
recommended.
For more information on Rome, you can click on the
"Rome Tips" link at my website
World-Weary Traveler
For dining suggestions, follow the "Rome Restaurants" link.
To read a review about the this book please visit www.linearreflections.com
Alan Zeleznikar
Alan Zeleznikar is a satellite communications engineer with a deep and abiding love for history and for Rome, modern and ancient. He is the webmaster for the well-known "World Weary Traveler" web site. He grew up in a Southern California beach town but never learned to surf. He swears one day he will live in Italy (or maybe Slovenia, since he's heard the cost of living is lower there).
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Rome Explorations - Alan Zeleznikar
© Copyright 2007 Alan Zeleznikar.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author. Note for Librarians: A cataloguing record for this book is available from Library and Archives Canada at www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html
ISBN: 978-1-5536-9762-6 (softcover)
ISBN: 978-1-4122-4924-9 (ebook)
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10 9
Contents
Chapter One—Introduction
Intent
About This Book
About This Author
About This Tour
Chapter Two—Background
A Brief History of Rome
A Brief History of the City
Architecture
Geography
Things to Notice
Chapter Three—The Tour
Itinerary
The Pantheon
Piazza Navona (Domitian s Stadium)
The Largo Argentina Sacred Area
The Capitoline Hill
The Roman Forum
The Colosseum
The Arch of Constantine
Forum Boarium
Theater of Marcellus
The Porticus of Octaviae (Portico d’Ottavia)
Imperial Forums
Marcus Aurelius’ Column
Chapter Four—Conclusion
Discussion Question
Chapter Five—Contact Me
Feedback
Chapter Six-Extras
Pompey’s Theater
The Palatine Hill
The Temple of the Divine Hadrian
The Tomb of Augustus and the Ara Pacis
Basilica di San Clemente
Aqueducts
Diocletian’s Baths
City Walls
Appendix
Dedicated to:
My Italian friends for all the warmth, happiness and good times we’ve enjoyed (and the calender) and my family, for their love and support
Also in this Series
Rome Explorations: The Early Christian Rome Walking Tour
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1—Rome’s Population Through the Ages
Figure 2—The Hills of Rome
Figure 3—Late Imperial Rome
Figure 4—The Tour
Figure 5—The Campus Martius
Figure 6—The Four Temples
Figure 7—The Roman Forum
Figure 8—The Palatine Hill Ruins
Figure 9—The Servian and Aurelian Walls
TABLE OF TABLES
Table 1—Roman Emperor Timeline-O-Rama
Chapter One—Introduction
Intent
Like countless millions before me, my first trip to Rome in December, 1996 left me with a sense of awe and wonder. Every trip I’ve made since (nearly one dozen in the last 6 years) has only deepened my feelings about this truly unique and beautiful city. I’ve tried to infuse this guide with those feelings in the hope that you, too, will fall in love with my
city.
This guide is meant as an informative, lively and light-hearted companion to your self-guided walking tour of the ancient city. I hope it is as fun for you to walk as it was for me to write.
About This Book
This book is meant to provide a thorough tour of the ancient Roman ruins and sites of the modern city of Rome. It is not an all-inclusive guidebook; I do not include restaurant, hotel or transportation information. You should augment this tour guide with other Italy and Rome guides from reputable authors and publishers. While detailed walking directions and some maps of the important areas on the tour are included, a detailed map of the city is recommended.
For more information on Rome, you can click on the Rome Tips
link at my website (see Chapter Five). For dining suggestions, follow the Rome Restaurants
link.
About This Author
The author is ashamed to admit he is neither a historian nor a writer.
He is in fact a satellite communications engineer with a deep and abiding love for history and for Rome. He is the webmaster for the well-known World Weary Traveler
web site. He grew up in a Southern California beach town but never learned to surf. He swears one day he will live in Italy (or maybe Slovenia, since he’s heard the cost of living is lower there).
About This Tour
This tour guide is designed to give you an efficient and thorough Ancient Rome tour of the Eternal City. It is a walking tour and will take approximately 3 hours to complete not including the time taken inside the various sites visited. It covers the entire central Rome area and requires several kilometers of walking. Sturdy walking shoes, water, a snack (or time out for lunch) and in the summer a hat are highly advisable.
Several busy streets must be crossed, but since traffic in Rome obeys traffic signals this should not prove too difficult a task. If things get too tough, follow an old lady (or a nun—they’re always a good choice) across. A good choice of days for this tour is Sunday, since the city of Rome shuts down Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via del Corso all day, allowing residents and visitors alike to wander the ancient city area freely. Sunday has another advantage; some of the churches that you will visit may only be open that day.
Chapter Two—Background
A Brief History of Rome
Rome was founded in 753 BC (or maybe 754 BC) on the Palatine Hill by Romulus, the wolf-suckled offspring of a god, Mars, and a mortal, Rhea Silvia. A few mud huts with straw roofs formed the first village and marked the start of the Monarchic Age. Rome spent 250 years as a monarchy, with 7 legendary kings: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Traquinius Priscus, Servius Tullus and Tarquinius Superbus. It was during this time that the first city wall was built, the Roman Forum was first built, the Cloaca Maxima was constructed and the Circus Maximus initially