There are quite a few fora in Rome, but this is one part of the Forum. The big structure in the centre at the back is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. Within it is the Baroque Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda - it's quite remarkable how the outside of the temple was retained, and the usual church design modified to fit.
The structure is quite a long way up from the present (excavated) ground level - you can't see them in this photograph, but there is a tall, broad sweep of stairs up to the base of the columns, and within the portico there is a gap of several metres up to the bronze doors of the church, giving an indication of how much higher ground level was in the 17th century.
The smaller structure in the foreground is the ruin of the Temple of Divus Julius, built by Augustus in 42BC and dedicated to his deified uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar. This temple is built over the place where Caesar was cremated, following his murder in 44BC. The roofed area contains the remains of the temple altar - you can go in on the left hand side, and see it behind the stone wall - people still lay flowers here today.
The Forum proper - the open space between all the buildings, extends from the front of the Temple of Divus Julius up to the base of the Capitoline Hill (towards the left in this photo), between the Basilica Aemilia and Basilica Julia. The columns on the left belong to the Basilica Aemilia.
It's hard to get a feeling for this important place in Roman history. There are so many layers, not least due to its location between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills, subject to flooding and sedimentation. The ruins give little indication of what a crowded, closed in, busy place this would have been 2000 years ago - not just a centre of government, but a marketplace and social area - not too much different to our city centres today.
I could spend a long time studying this place, and it's just one small area of this amazing city.
No comments:
Post a Comment