Before becoming the political;administrative and religious centre of Rome;the Forum was an inhospitable marshland.From the late 7th century CE;after the area was drained and reclaimed;several monuments were progressively built on it:first the buildings for political;religious and commercial activities;then;during the 2nd c.BCE;the civilian basilicas;where judicial activities took place.By the end of the Republican era;the ancient Roman Forum was already fully built up so that only a few monuments were added during the Empire:the Temple of Vespasian;that of Antoninus and Faustina;the monumental Arch of Septimius Severus;the imposing Basilica of Maxentius.The last monument was the column erected in 608 CE in honour of the Byzantine Emperor Phocas.The Palatine is the hill where;according to tradition;Romulus founded Rome in 754 BCE:the remains of huts confirm in full the details of the legend.The elevated position and the proximity to the Tiber made the Palatine very suitable for the settlement;during the Republican era it became the residential district of the Roman aristocracy.;Timetable details (1):• from last Sunday of October to 15th February from 9.00 to 16.30;last admission at 15.30;• from 16th February to 15th March from 9.00 to 17.00;last admission at 16.00;• from 16th to the last Saturday of March from 9.00 to 17.30;last admission at 16.30;• from last Sunday of March to 31st August from 9.00 to 19.15;last admission at 18.30;• from 1st to 30th September from 9.00 to 19.00;last admission at 17.30;• from 1st to the last Saturday of October from 9.00 to 18.30;last admission at 17.00.;Arcate Severiane sul PalatinoOpen on Tuesday;Thursday and Friday:• from 16th February to 15th March from 8.30 to 16.30;• from 16th to the last Saturday of March from 8.30 to 17.00;• from last Sunday of March to 31st August from 8.30 to 18.45;• from 1st to 30th September from 8.30 to 18.30;• from 1st to the last Saturday of October from 8.30 to 18.00.;Casa di Augusto – Casa di LiviaOpen every day for groups up to 20 person with only private tourist guide or Coopculture's tourist guide (reservation at +39 06 39967700 or www.coopculture.it).;Casa delle Vestali;Tempio di Venere e Roma;Museo PalatinoOpen every day;closed 30 minutes before closing of the archaeological area.