The Seven Hills of Rome - Vatican Articles Vatican / Vatican Articles / Rome / The Seven Hills o... The Seven Hills of Rome 27/06/2013 by Vatican.com The ancient city of Rome was originally built on the topographical layout of seven separate hills. These seven hills were joined together by the ancient walls of Rome- the Servian walls. The Seven Hills of Rome lie in the east to the Tiber River. Later many more areas were annexed to the city. The city walls were extended to include them also and the city is now much bigger than its original territory. The Vatican and Vatican hill are included in the Areas that were added to the city much later in history. The seven hills are, namely: The Quirinal Hill The Palatine Hill The biggest of all the seven is the Esquiline hill. It is famous because the Roman emperor constructed the domus aurea on it. Before the time of the Roman Empire the east side of the Esquiline was used for refuse and the poor buried their dead there. Execution of criminals was held by the Esquiline gate and the bodies were left to rot there.

Burial was not allowed within the borders of the city but the burial area at the Esquiline was not within the walls of the city. In addition on the Esquiline were The Temple of Claudius, The Colossus, and the Baths of Trajan. The Palatine hill is also very important. According to the legend about the foundation of Rome the city to was first founded on the Palatine Hill by Romulus. Rome had a very humble beginning. According to the legend the seven hills were originally occupied by tiny groups of separate tribes and were not affiliated to any city. Rome did not yet exist. Eventually the residents of the seven hills started to cooperate in order to participate in a series of religious games. These games were the adhesive that bonded the different settlers. As these separate settlements came together and became friendly, they formed together the newborn city of Rome. They started to work together to drain the marshes between the different hills and turn them into markets. The safety of any city used to depend on the height, sturdiness and breadth of its walls. The seven hills were protected by the walls called the Servian Walls. These were built in the early 4th century BC.

Whereas five out of the seven hills of Rome; The Caelian, The Esquiline, The Aventine, The Viminal and The Quirinal) include monuments, buildings, and parks m the poher two are not populated currently. The Capitoline hill is now Rome's city hall, and the Palatine Hill is part of an archaeological site. Because of the seven hills Rome is known as the city of seven hills among other names given to it. The legend of the seven hills is so famous that here are other cities in the world that claim to have been built on seven hills. One of these cities is Athens, Greece. The Pincian Hill located north of the tiber, The Vatican Hill which is located north-west to the river Tiber , and the Janiculum Hill lying to the west, are not part of the Seven Hills.

Tell us what you think about this topic Ancient History/Rome/Early Rome (the Seven Hills) - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Ancient History/Rome/Early Rome (the Seven Hills) From Wikibooks, open books for an open world 3 The Forum The Tiber River[ edit ] Rome sat on the eastern shore of the Tiber River, at the only easy crossing place between the river mouth and the mountains. Seven hills rose there out of low and marshy ground. By the beginning of the ninth century BCE, these seven hills were occupied by village communities who kept farms in the low-lying areas and retreated to their hilltops for defense. The fording place on the river lay below a large island that was later dedicated to the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. Sometime in the sixth century BCE, the Romans under the direction of their Etruscan kings built a wooden bridge over the Tiber at this point, facilitating communications between northern and southern Italy, and joining the Etrurian confederation to the Greek colonial cities in the district of Magna Graecia.

The Seven Hills[ edit ] Archaeology suggests that Rome began as a confederation of villages on the seven hills of Rome: the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Viminal, Quirinal, Esquiline, and the Caelian. The low-lying ground between them was swampy and malarial. Yet the presence of a natural fording place gave Rome some unusual advantages. Once the seven villages united, and invested the time in constructing an early wall around their territory, they could charge a toll for the use of the ford (and later the bridge). This was to prove an early source of Rome's wealth. Graves dating from the ninth and eighth centuries BCE suggest two common forms of burial in the area: cremation graves are clustered in Rome's Forum or marketplace, with a smattering of inhumations around them; a much larger cemetery lay in the valley between the Esquiline and Viminal hills. Tradition and myth provides a much more interesting, if less likely, story of Rome's founding.

One of the Vestal Virgins of the nearby town of Alba Longa had a sexual encounter with the god Mars, and bore Romulus and Remus, twin sons who catalyzed the fortification of a small urban area in what is now Rome. Capitoline[ edit ] Capitoline hill has deep roots in Roman history as its existence is acknowledged in the stories concerning the founding of Rome. The Seven Hills of Rome, Rome (Photo Archive) The Seven Hills of Rome Basic topographical description of Rome Rome / Italy Traditionally Rome is said to be founded on seven hills, but the history and the topography of Rome is a bit more complicated than that. The hills are not all separated, muddling the definitions somewhat. Most of the hills are high ridges, cut by natural streams flowing from the higher ground in to the Tiber River . Palatine Hill (Palatium) The central hill and where the city of Rome was founded by Romulus according to legend. The myth is corroborated by archaeological finds from the iron age (10th century BCE) of huts and primitive defensive walls around the hill.

The Palatine remained the centre of power throughout the history of Rome , first as the residential area of choice of the most wealthy patricians, later as the residence of the emperors. Significantly, the word palace stems from the name palatinus. Capitoline Hill (Capitolium) This hill is very steep and soon became the fortified stronghold of Rome . When the Gauls sacked Rome in 390 BCE, only the Capitol held out. Later it became the religious centre, due to the presence of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus Best and Greatest . The Capitoline Hill has two summits, the Capitoline proper to the south and the Arx to the north, with the Asylum on the ridge between them. The Arx is now occupied by the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and the modern Vittoriano . The Asylum is now the Piazza di Campidoglio . Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis) The Quirinal is the northernmost of four spurs of the high ground east of the Tiber that lay within the limits of Republican Rome . It rose above the Campus Martius and was attached to the Capitoline Hill by a low ridge.

The hill is named after the ancient god Quirinus , a member of the earliest Capitoline Triad. Viminal Hill (Viminalis) The Viminal is a smaller ridge between the Quirinal Hill and the Esquiline Hill. Esquiline Hill (Esquiliae) The Esquiline is one of the largest hills, between the Viminal Hill and the Caelian Hill. Various parts of the the Esquiline Hill have separate names. The Cispian Hill (Cispius) is a small ridge just north of the Esquiline and the western side is called Fagutal (Fagutalis) and the southern side Oppian ((Oppius)). The Esquiline Hill was connected to the Palatine Hill via a ridge called the Velia, which was all but levelled in late antiquity. Caelian Hill (Caelius) The Caelian Hill is the southernmost of the four large spurs. It stretches from the area of San Giovanni in Laterano to the Colosseum .

It had two high points, referred to as the Larger Caelian, Caelius maior, to the west, and the Smaller Caelian, Caelius minor, to the north. Aventine Hill (Aventinus) The Aventine Hill is to the south and the last of the seven hill. It is detached from the other hill, and separated from the Palatine Hill by the valley of the Circus Maximus . The Aventine was traditionally the territory of the plebeians, who had their main temples and sanctuaries there. Outside the ancient city limits were other hills, that would later be incorporated into the city as it grew. Pincian Hill (Pincius) The Pincian Hill is to the north of the Quirinal Hill, overlooking the Campus Martius. The Pincian were mostly gardens, and were referred to as the Collis Hortolorum, the hill of gardens. There is still a park today with a beautiful view over the Piazza del Popolo . Across the Tiber were other hills: Janiculum (Janiculum)) The Janiculum is a tall, elongated ridge, oriented mostly north-south.

In the earliest time the Janiculum was the northern border of Rome , with Etruscan territory on the other side. In times of war a flag would be planted on the hill to signal to the enemy that Rome was ready. The name is after Janus , the two-faced god. Vatican Hill ( Vaticanus ) The Vatican Hill is a parallel to the Janiculum, further north. It overlooked a flat area to the north, the Vatican Fields, where the Basilica of Saint Peter , the Vatican State and the Castel Sant'Angelo now are. Where there are hill, there are valleys. The Velabrum is the area between the Palatine and the Capitoline hills. Between the Aventine and the Palatine is a depression, where the Circus Maximus was later built. Where the Velabrum and the Circus Maximus meets, between the Capitoline, Palatine and Aventine hills was the first harbour and marketplace of Rome , the Forum Boarium . The Forum Romanum is in the valley between the Palatine, the Capitoline and the Esquiline hills.

On he other side of the Velia is the area of the Colosseum , where there was a small lake before the construction of the Colosseum . This area is between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills. The Field of Mars (Campus Martius) was a large plain just north of the archaic city, surrounded by the Capitoline, Esquiline and Pincian hills to the east and by the Tiber on the other sides. The army would convene in the Campus Martius before war and military commanders were elected there, as no military activities were allowed with the sacred city limit, the pomerium. A Beginners’ Guide to the Seven Hills of Rome | Rachel's Rome Writings A Beginners’ Guide to the Seven Hills of Rome Posted on January 16, 2011 by Rachel Ingram You may have heard reference to the ‘Seven Hills of Rome’ and wondered what this is all about. Walking around in modern Rome, you’re aware of the ground rising and falling, but in the jumble of buildings it’s difficult to get a sense of the underlying topography, which would probably have been rather clearer in Roman times.

It’s important to remember that the famous hills are really more ridges of land than hills, and from Roman times to the height of Fascism areas of the city have undergone vast landscaping projects which have seen parts of these ridges completely flattened. The Seven Hills of Rome (image from Wikipedia) I thought it might be interesting to say a little bit about each of the hills, highlighting key monuments in those areas, to make it a bit easier to understand the topography of ancient Rome in relation to the present day. Note that although I am not including the Janiculum or Vatican hills (which are on the opposite bank of the Tiber) nor the Pincian, because these are not included among the traditional seven hills, it should be remembered that (as Amanda Claridge points out) the Romans themselves had trouble defining which the seven were! Palatine The so-called ‘Hippodrome’, a sunken garden of Domitian’s Palace The Palatine Hill was said to be where Romulus founded the original city of Rome on the site of an older settlement (archaeological evidence supports settlement here from the 9th century BC).

During the Republican period, this was where many aristocrats of Rome had luxurious houses, but by the Imperial period the whole hill was given over to the lavish palace of the emperor. Indeed, our word “Palace” takes its name from this hill. These days, the whole hill is an archaeological site, with the ruins of many generations of Rome’s emperors on show – notably some incredible frescoes in the House of Augustus (worth queuing for) and the vast so-called ‘Hippodrome’, an elliptical sunken garden from the palace of Domitian. There’s an impressive view of the Circus Maximus from the south side, and of the Colosseum to the north. Capitoline View of the Piazza del Campidoglio from outside the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli The Capitoline Hill was incredibly significant in Roman times, being home to several important buildings, notably the Temple of Jupiter Best and Greatest, the Temple of Juno and the Tabularium (archives), the foundations of which can be seen beneath the Palazzo Senatorio, which is the modern City Hall of Rome.

The hill was also the site of the infamous Tarpeian Rock, from which traitors to ancient Rome were hurled to their deaths. The focal point of the hill today is what would have been the back of the hill in Roman times. It’s dominated by the mighty Vittorio Emmanuele Monument and by two imposing staircases: the one on the left, leading up to the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli (which stands on the site of the Roman Temple of Juno), dates to 1348 and was offered in thanks for deliverance from the plague; and the far gentler cordonata on the right was designed by none other than Michelangelo, completed in 1566 and leading up to the Piazza del Campidoglio, over which Marcus Aurelius casts a kindly eye from atop his bronze steed. This impressive statue is in fact a replica of the Roman original, which can be viewed in the Capitoline Museums which surround this piazza. We don’t know for sure where it stood in Roman times – possibly the Forum Romanum – but it stood for centuries outside the Lateran palace before being moved to the Capitoline in 1538.

The hill also provides spectacular views over the Forum Romanum towards the Colosseum, and if you go down the set of steps to the left of the Forum you’ll get a brilliant close-up view of the colossal Arch of Septimius Severus. Esquiline The papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Esquiline Hill The Esquiline hill is the area of modern Rome south of the main train station, Termini, and north of the Colosseum. It’s home to the incredible basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (one of the four papal churches) as well as several smaller churches and monuments, one of the lesser known of which is the ‘Arch of Gallienus’ – one of the original Republican city gates, now crammed unceremoniously between modern buildings. The nearby Medieval church of Santa Prassede is frequently overlooked but a highly recommended stop on a walk around this part of Rome.

There are relics of ancient Rome prominently displayed either side of Santa Maria Maggiore, with an obelisk to the rear (one which flanked the entrance to the Mausoleum of Augustus) and a huge column at the front which was originally part of the epic Basilica of Maxentius, the vast structure seen on the left-hand side of the Via dei Fori Imperiali approaching the Colosseum. Aventine Divided into the Lesser and the Greater Aventine, this was the area of Rome originally outside the sacred boundary of the city and traditionally associated with the plebs of ancient Rome. In the founding myths it was said that, while Romulus set up his augural tent on the Palatine Hill, his twin brother Remus set up his on the Aventine. It’s now a leafy residential district with a commanding view of the Palatine Hill, in which the church of Santa Sabina and its nearby orange grove are the main attractions. Quirinal The Quirinal Hill is dominated by the Palazzo del Quirinale, one of the three official residences of the Italian President.

The obelisk in the elaborate horse fountain at the centre of the adjacent piazza was originally the partner of the one outside Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline, and flanked the entrance to the Mausoleum of Augustus. Art lovers should head to the Palazzo Barberini, home to the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, and Borromini’s Baroque church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is also nearby and worth a visit. Caelian The Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo on the Caelian Hill. The impressive remains of a Roman house lie beneath it. The Caelian hill lies to the south of the Colosseum, and these days it’s a good place to escape the manic throng of tourists. If you’re a fan of churches, there are some stunning examples here – I recommend Santo Stefano Rotondo, Santi Giovanni e Paolo and Santi Quattro Coronati in particular.

On a rather larger scale is the Basilica of St John Lateran, one of the four papal churches, and the Baths of Caracalla, the ruins of which go some way towards giving us an impression of the enormous scale and magnificence of Roman imperial bath houses (which were so huge that they even had libraries). Viminal A famous statue showing Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, or chief priest (Terme Museum). It was intended to show the emperor’s piety. This is the area north of the Esquiline, now identified with the sprawling Termini station. As a tourist, the main point of interest will be the Terme Museum, a priceless collection whose highlights include the beautiful frescoes from the so-called House of Livia, and an array of very famous statues including Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, the Terme Ruler and the Terme Boxer. The nearby Baths of Diocletian are also worthy of a visit, and, like the Baths of Caracalla, give a reasonable impression of the vast scale of the Roman imperial bath houses.

Share this: Basic Rome City Topography:ALRItkwRom101BasicTopo.html ALRItkwRom101BasicTopo.html Basic Rome City Topography Traditionally Rome is said to be founded on seven hills, but the history and the topography of Rome is a bit more complicated than that. Rome's Seven Hills: The hills are not really isolated hills. Rather they are a series of ridges eroded from a plain above the floodplain of the Tiber river. Erosion has separated the ends of some of the ridges into freestanding heights. It's easy to understand if you look at the contour map below. Note also that the slopes of the hills and ridges were much steeper in ancient times and the valley bottoms were much closer to the level of the Tiber than they are today -- both natural action and human intervention have smoothed the contours and softened the edges. Palatine Hill (Palatium = Palatino) The central hill and where the city of Rome was founded by Romulus according to legend. The myth is corroborated by archaeological finds from the iron age (10th century through 8th century BC ) of huts and primitive defensive walls around the hill.

The Palatine remained the center of power throughout the history of Rome, first as the residential area of choice of the most wealthy patricians, later as the residence of the emperors. Significantly, the word palace stems from the name palatinus. The Velia, a northward extension of the Palatine, was the site of the forst Roman temples in the Forum Romanum. Capitoline Hill (Capitolium = Campidoglio) This hill was very steep and soon became the fortified stronghold of Rome. When the Gauls sacked Rome in 390 BCE, only the Capitol held out. Later it became the religious center, due to the presence of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus Best and Greatest. The Capitoline Hill has two summits, the Capitoline proper to the south and the Arx to the north, with the Asylum on the ridge between them. The Arx is now occupied by the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and the modern Vittoriano. The Asylum is now the Piazza di Campidoglio.

Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis = Quirinale) The Quirinal is the northernmost of four spurs of the high ground east of the Tiber that lay within the limits of Republican Rome. It rose above the Campus Martius and was attached to the Capitoline Hill by a low ridge. The hill is named after the ancient god Quirinus, a member of the earliest Capitoline Triad. Viminal Hill (Viminalis = Viminale) The Viminal is a smaller ridge between the Quirinal Hill and the Esquiline Hill. Esquiline Hill (Esquiliae = Esquilino) The Esquiline is one of the largest hills, between the Viminal Hill and the Caelian Hill. Various parts of the Esquiline Hill have separate names. The Cispian peak (Cispius) is a small ridge just north of the Esquiline and the western side is called Fagutal (Fagutalis) and the southern side Oppian (Oppius). The Esquiline Hill was connected to the Palatine Hill via a ridge called the Velia, which was all but leveled in late antiquity.

Caelian Hill (Caelius = Celio) The Caelian Hill is the southernmost of the four large spurs. It stretches from the area of San Giovanni in Laterano to the Colosseum. It had two high points, referred to as the Larger Caelian (Caelius maior), to the west, and the Smaller Caelian (Caelius minor), to the north. Aventine Hill (Aventinus = Aventino) The Aventine Hill is to the south and the last of the seven hill. It is detached from the other hills, and separated from the Palatine Hill by the valley of the Circus Maximus. The Aventine was traditionally the territory of the plebeians, who had their main temples and sanctuaries there. It is shown at the very bottom of the map, south of the Capitoline and outside the dotted line of the Pomerium. The Seven Hills of Rome Mnemonic: In Victorian times, every English schoolboy could recite the names of Rome's traditional Seven hills. (Girls weren't expected to know such things.) So how did they remember?

They were taught a simple mnemonic to remember the first letter of the name of each hill. Here it is, so that we can remember them too: Can Queen Victoria eat cold apple pie? The first letters correspond to: Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, and Palatine, Other "unofficial" hills apparently need not be remembered. Outside the ancient city limits were other hills, that would later be incorporated into the city as it grew. Pincian Hill (Pincius) The Pincian Hill is to the north of the Quirinal Hill, overlooking the Campus Martius. The Pincian was mostly gardens, and was referred to as the Collis Hortolorum, the hill of gardens. There is still a park today with a beautiful view over the Piazza del Popolo. The Aventine (Aventinus) is south of the Palatine and was one of the traditional seven hills. It is not labeled, but you can just see the beginning of its rise at the bottom edge of the map above. It is the traditional site of the rival settlement set up by Remus while Romulus was leading the settlement of the Palatine.

It was always outside the Pomerium, and therefore was, along with the areas on the western bank of the Tiber, where foreigners were allowed to live. As noted above, it also was a traditional Plebian stronghold. Trans Tiberium = across the Tiber = Trastevere. Trastevere is the modern Italian name for the part of Rome on the western bank of the Tiber river, and from ancient times it was an area outside the Pomerium where foreigners were allowed to live. In the first century BC, Trans Tiberium was where the Jewish international traders settled, and it later became the center of early Christian activity. Across the Tiber were other hills: Janiculum (Janiculum = Janiculo) The Janiculum is a tall, elongated ridge, oriented mostly north-south. In the earliest time the Janiculum was the northern border of Rome, with Etruscan territory on the other side. In times of war a flag would be planted on the hill to signal to the enemy that Rome was ready. The name is after Janus, the two-faced god.

Vatican Hill (Vaticanus = Vaticano) The Vatican Hill is parallel to the Janiculum, further north. It overlooked a flat area to the north, the Vatican Fields, where the Basilica of Saint Peter, the Vatican State and the Castel Sant'Angelo now are. St. Peter's Church and the Vatican are in their present location because the supposed site f the execution of St. Peter was at the base of an obelish in the center of the spina of the Circus of Nero built in the Vatican fields. Twentieth Century excavations found a monumental tomb off the north side of the Neronian circus that has been identified as the tomb of St. Peter. The Tomb is directly below the Papal altar of St. Peters Church. The obelisk was moved to its present location in the center of Piazza S. Pietro when the current church (still called New St. Peters) was built during the Renaissance. Castel Sant'Angelo was oricinally the tomb of Hadrian. Seven Hills of Rome Hours: Viewable at any time The Caelian Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome , located between the Colosseum and the Baths of Caracalla .

During the Republican Era, the Caelian Hill was the site of residences of the wealthy. Maybe there are ruins here awaiting discovery. While you're in Villa Celimontana you can have a look at the Mattei Obelisk . Other nearby sights are Santo Stefano Rotondo , Arcus Caelimontani , Case Romane del Celio , Aqua Neroniano and the Palatine Hill . The spot that I selected for my panorama from the Caelian Hill is in Villa Celimontana, facing west (shown below). Hours: Viewable at any time The Capitoline Hill is one of the two currently non-populated hills of the Seven Hills of Rome , along with the Palatine Hill . It was the the geographical and ceremonial center of ancient Rome, being the site of their most important temple, the Temple of Jupiter . This temple towered over the Roman Forum, and its foundations can be seen today (1st and 2nd photos below) inside and outside the Capitoline Museum , which is the shining star of museums in Rome, and the primary attraction of today's Capitoline Hill.

The hill and the Temple of Jupiter became symbols of Rome, the Caput Mundi (capitol of the world). In ancient times, the Capitoline Hill was a natural fortress, with rocky cliffs on all sides and two crests on the top. The northern crest, where the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli now stands, was the slightly higher crest, and was called the Arx (citadel) and held the Temple of Juno. The southern crest, where the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Caffarelli (the part of the Capitoline Museum furthest from the Victor Emmanuel Monument ) now stand was called the Capitolium, and held the Temple of Jupiter . This end of the hill was reserved exclusively for religious purposes from a very early period, becoming the center of the State cult and the destination of Rome's military triumphal processions. The saddle-shaped depression between the two crests was called the Asylum, an area where, according to legend, Romulus had declared a sanctuary to attract foreign refugees and increase the population of Rome.

Since those ancient times, the hill's edges have softened and due to development, the hill mainly faces west to the Via del Teatro di Marcello today (3rd photo below), rather than facing east toward the Roman Forum (4th photo below) as it did in antiquity. The edges of the hill were steep enough that they were used for executions in ancient times. The northern part of the eastern edge held the Gemonian Stairs and the southern part of the eastern edge has the Tarpeian Rock . Some foundation stones of a corner of the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, just jutting out from the Capitoline Museum to a plexiglass-covered viewport, viewable from Via del Tempio di Giove See all Capitoline Hill photos . The Piazza del Campidoglio, or simply Campidoglio (1st photo below, just for fun), is the modern piazza at the spot of the ancient Asylum, designed by Michelangelo in 1536-1546 and finally completed during the 17th century, except for the paving which was finished during the 20th century by Mussolini in accordance to Michelangelo's design.

The star-shaped paving stones on the Campidoglio (2nd photo below), designed by Michelangelo, form one of the symbols of Rome. It's embossed on a money-clip (3rd photo below) that I bought in the Capitoline Museum gift shop, and which I love to use whenever the opportunity arises. The apparent oval of the paving stones on the Campidoglio is actually slightly egg-shaped to balance the trapezoidal space outlined by the buildings which surround the piazza. The 4th photo below shows the paving stones of the Campidoglio through the gorgeous old character-filled windows of the Palazzo Nuovo in the Capitoline Museum . The 3rd photo above and the 5th photo below are views of the stairway (actually more of a ramp since each individual step slopes upward) from Via del Teatro di Marcello up to the Campidoglio. That stairway, called the Cordonata, is often attributed to Micelangelo, but was actually completed and modified by Giacomo Della Porta in 1578. See all Capitoline Hill photos . The Campidoglio is loaded with historically significant statues.

At the bottom of the Cordonata stairway are two Egyptian basalt lion sculptures from the temple to Serapis and Isis in the Campus Martius near Santa Maria sopra Minerva , which have become fountains (1st and 2nd photos below), one on each side of the stairway. Part way up the stairway, on the left, is a statue of Cola di Rienzi (3rd photo below), a 14th century political figure in Rome who claimed himself to be a Tribune and reviver of the ancient Roman Republic, and who ended up being killed near this spot. At the top of the stairway are statues of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) (4th photo below), which are also visible in the 5th photo above. Castor is on the left (5th photo below), and Pollux is on the right (6th photo below). Michelangelo wanted to use the statues which actually now surround the Quirinal Obelisk and the Fountain of Castor and Pollux , but the popes had already confiscated those statues for their palace on the Quirinal Hill .

Instead, fragments of statues of Castor and Pollux were found during excavations in the Jewish Ghetto, and were moved to the top of the stairway in 1585. Unfortunately, Castor's original head was never found, so a new one was sculpted in 1582. Pollux's head was badly damaged and a new nose, chin and hair were created at the same time. It is impossible to be sure, but the original faces might have portrayed Augustus ' grandsons Gaius (who died at age 24 in 4 AD) and Lucius (who died at age 19 in 2 AD), who were Augustus ' intended successors as emperor, and were identified with Castor and Pullux even during their lifetime, and moreso after their deaths. The Dioscuri are particulary appropriate to have been placed here since they are protectors of the city of Rome and insurers of Liberty. Egyptian basalt lion (from Iseo Campense) forming the fountain at the bottom of the steps to the Campidoglio (HDR of 3 images) See all Capitoline Hill photos .

There are several other statues and objects along the edge of the Campidoglio on a balustrade at the top of the Cordonata. The objects on the left and the right, nearest to Castor and Pollux are the Trophies of Marius. In this context, a 'trophy' is a display of captured enemy arms and armor which was mounted on a wooden framework and carried as part of a triumphal procession. The Trophy of Marius on the left is shown in the 1st and 2nd photos below, and the one on the right in the 3rd and 4th photos below. Marius was a late-2nd-century BC general who reformed the armies of the Roman Republic, defeated Teutonic barabaries, won a war in Numidia, won the Social War for Rome, and was consul of the Roman Republic for several terms. He was also Julius Caesar 's uncle-in-law. But the association of these trophies with Marius is fiction, because they were actually made for one of the triumphs of the emperor Domitian , and they display the shields and equipment used at that time.

They were reused in the early 3rd century to decorate a fountain also named the Trophies of Marius in an imperial villa built around the time of Emperor Alexander Severus . In 1590, the panels were moved from the fountain to the balistrade of the Campidoglio and at that time an inscription on the underside of one was found, telling that the marble had been quarried during the reign of Domitian . One of the Trophies of Marius at the western edge of the Campidoglio, photographed from outside the entrance to Santa Maria in Aracoeli See all Capitoline Hill photos . Moving outward from the two trophies, we next find a statue of the emperor Constantine the Great on the left (1st and 2nd photos below), and his son, emperor Constantine II on the right (3rd and 4th photos below). The inscription under the statue of Constantine the Great is Constantinus Aug, indicating he was an Augustus, a senior emperor. The inscription under the statue of Constantine II is Constantinus Caes, indicating he was a Caesar, a junior emperor.

Statue of Emperor Constantine the Great on the western edge of the Campidoglio, photographed from outside the entrance to Santa Maria in Aracoeli See all Capitoline Hill photos . Moving one more step outward, we find mile markers from the Appian Way . On the left is Mile Marker VII, found in 1848, which is inscribed with the name of Vespasian in 76 AD (1st photo below). On the right is Mile Marker I of the Appian Way , also inscribed with the name Vespasian , and recording repairs made by Nerva in 97 AD, and added to the balustrade in 1692 (2nd photo below). Mile Marker III, still viewable today along the Appian Way , is shown in situ in the 3rd photo below. It is very weather-worn, you can barely make out the Roman numeral III right of center near the top. Mile Marker VII of the Appian Way, inscribed with the name of Vespasian in 76 AD, on the western edge of the Campidoglio, photographed from outside the entrance to Santa Maria in Aracoeli See all Appian Way photos .

At the center of the Campidoglio is a famous equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius on a pedestal designed by Michelangelo (1st, 2nd and 3rd photos below). The statue itself is a copy; the original is in the Capitoline Museum , safe from the elements (4th and 5th photos below). The original was erected in either the Roman Forum near the Antonine Column, or in Piazza Colonna in 175 AD, 5 years before Marcus Aurelius ' death. It was not destroyed during the Middle Ages as were most bronze statues because medieval Christians thought it portrayed Constantine the Great , the first Christian emperor. Out of the 22 recorded equestrian statues in the late imperial period, this statue is the only one to have survived. In the 8th century it stood in the Lateran Palace, and in 1538 it was moved to the center of this piazza during Michelangelo's redesign. The star-shaped pattern of paving of the Campidoglio emanates from this statue at the center. Replica of the statue of Marcus Aurelius at the center of Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill).

The original is inside the Capitoline Museum. See all Capitoline Museum photos . Three buildings line the sides of the Campidoglio other than the side lined by the stairway. At the opposite end of the piazza from the stairway is the Palazzo Senatorio (1st photo above) located behind the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in that photo. It was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, and it stands atop the ancient Tabularium , which overlooks the Roman Forum and once housed the archives of ancient Rome. For the first several hundred years, it housed the Senate of Rome, but now it is the city hall of Rome, where today's City Council meets and the mayor has his office. During the 16th century, Michelangelo removed the ancient second floor of the Tabularium and built the upper floors we see today, and he modified the building's facade with a double stairway, discussed in the next paragraph.

When you face the Palazzo Senatorio, the building on your right is the Palazzo dei Conservatori (2nd and 3rd photos below), which houses the ticket office, the entrance to, and the first half of the exhibits of the spectacular Capitoline Museum . The Palazzo dei Conservatori was built in the 13th century for the local magistrate and renovated by Michelangelo. The pre-existing 80-degree angle between the front face of this building and that of the Palazzo Senatorio, along with his aesthetic feelings against tearing down the structure, caused Michelangelo to design the Palazzo Nuovo at that same angle to the Palazzo Senatorio, making the trapezoidal shape of the piazza. An underground passageway connects that part of the museum to the building on the left side of the piazza, the Palazzo Nuovo, which was constructed from 1603-1654, which Michelangelo designed to balance the piazza and make the space symmetric. The Palazzo Nuovo (4th and 5th photos below) is much smaller than the Palazzo dei Conservatori, but holds superb works of sculpture.

Branching off the underground passageway that connects the two pallazi is a hallway which leads to the Tabularium , which is behind and under the Palazzo Senatorio and overlooks the Roman Forum . The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in the center of the Campodoglio, in front of the Palazzo Senatorio See all Capitoline Hill photos . Under the right stairway is a sculpted personification of "The Tiber" river god (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th photos below), leaning on the She-Wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus. This was originally a portrayal of the Tigris river god, but was changed to the Tiber when the She-Wolf was added. The Nile and Tigris river gods were found in Palazzo Rospigliosi, across the street and just a little bit south from the Quirinal Obelisk . The personification of the Tiber River, leaning on the she-wolf and the twins Romulus and Remus, on the right side of the Palazzo Senatorio on the Campidoglio See all Capitoline Hill photos .

The colossal statue of the river god Marforio, from the first or second century AD, was originally located beside the Mamertine Prison , situated behind a great round stone basin which was moved in 1818 into the Fountain of Castor and Pollux . Marforio was moved in 1595 from that location at the foot of the hill onto the Campidoglio, probably to control the satires which were hung on it since it was one of the Talking Statues of Rome. People posted questions one day on the statue named Pasquino, and anonymous subversive answers would appear on Marforio the next day. The statue was moved into a beautiful courtyard in the ground floor of the Palazzo Nuovo in 1679, and can be viewed as part of your tour of the Capitoline Museum , or in the photos below. See all Capitoline Hill photos . A walk around the rest of the top of the Capitoline Hill shows a few more sights of interest.

I suggest walking around to the right side of the Palazzo dei Conservatori where a road leads to the Piazzale Caffarelli with its unusual fountain (1st photo below) and its spectacular view of the Theatre of Marcellus (2nd photo below). Continue walking around the buildings, and on the edge of the building on the other side you'll come to the glass enclosure affording a view into the foundation of the Temple of Jupiter (3rd photo below). Continue walking around the building and you'll come to a nice view of the Roman Forum from the back of the southern side of the Palazzo Senatorio (4th photo below). Walk back out to the front of the Palazzo Senatorio and you'll pass under the bridge in the 5th photo below. The fountain at the center of Piazzale Caffarelli, on the right side of the Palazzo dei Conservatori See all Roman Forum photos . The Capitoline Hill is an excellent place to see the Roman Forum for free, especially at night. On the left (northern) and right (southern) side of the Palazzo Senatorio are porches from which you can view the Roman Forum .

These porches (along with the Capitoline Hill) can be reached from Via dei Fori Imperiali via the small road between Caesar's Forum and the Victor Emmanuel Monument , and from Via del Teatro di Marcello on Vico Jugario which turns into Via de Consolazione, as well as from the Cordonata ramp from Via del Teatro di Marcello. The two photos below were taken from the porch on the left (northern) side, which I find provides a more pleasing view than those from the right (southern) side (4th photo above). Hours: Viewable at any time The Esquiline Hill is the highest and largest of the Seven Hills of Rome but is only obvious to see from a few points since it is so large. The entire hill runs from the Colosseum to Santa Maria Maggiore and east to beyond Porta Maggiore . This encompasses the Monti and Esquiline neighborhoods of Rome. The Esquiline Hill has three three summits. The southern summit is east-northeast of the Colosseum and is mainly filled by the public park named Parco Oppio since this summit is called the Oppian Hill.

This is where my photos of the Esquiline Hill were taken. The northern summit is called the Cispian Hill, upon which Santa Maria Maggiore stands. The western summit, called the Fagutal Hill, is the part of the Esquiline Hill dominated by St. Peter in Chains . Sights on the Oppian peak of the Esquiline Hill include remains of the Baths of Trajan (1st photo below), and the Domus Aurae of Nero (currently closed to the public, 2013). Other nearby sights are the Colosseum , the Ludus Magnus , and San Clemente . As you head north away from the Oppian summit, sights include St. Peter in Chains , Santa Maria Maggiore , Santa Prassede and many of the sights on my Southeastern Sights Walking Tour . €15.50, includes Colosseum and Roman Forum Hours: Open 8:30 AM to one hour before sunset, every day Located between the eastern half of the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus , the Palatine Hill is one of the two currently non-populated hills of the Seven Hills of Rome , along with the Capitoline Hill .

The Palatine was the hill that Romulus setup his home upon in the creation legend of Rome , and it is where the Roman Emperors had their immense palaces. Today, very little remains of many of the buildings once on the Palatine Hill. In my opinion, the signage is poor throughout the site and recommended route is unmarked, making it a rather confused mess that is hard to make sense out of. Shame on the curators of this property for not doing their best to provide a good, clearly explained educational experience for the people who pay to see the site. However, it does have the remains of the palaces, and some of them have enough standing to make them worthwhile to see, so although I would not go onto the Palatine Hill if I had less than 4 days in Rome, I would (and did) go when I had only slightly more than a week. And I went again when I took a second trip to Rome, hoping to be able to make more sense of it. It was still difficult to understand, though.

The Severan Arcades (The palace built by Septimius Severus , built over substructures apparently dating from the time of Domitian ) overlooking the Circus Maximus from the southern edge of the Palatine Hill, viewed here from the Circus Maximus See all Palatine Hill photos . The Palatine Hill entrance on Via di San Gregorio is a great place to buy your combined ticket for the Palatine Hill, the Colosseum and Roman Forum since the lines there are shorter than at the other two sites. To get there, walk from the Colosseo metro stop, past the Arch of Constantine , and continue about 1.5 times that distance in the same direction where the entrance is on your right. Regardless of where you buy your ticket, though, you can enter at either the entrance on Via di San Gregorio, or from inside the Roman Forum , near the Arch of Titus . Just south of that Via di San Gregorio entrance are remains from an extension of the Aqua Claudia made by emperor Domitian to bring water to the Palatine Hill. See all Palatine Hill photos . A small museum on the Palatine Hill has a few interesting objects and goes quickly since it is quite small.

The first time I visited the Palatine Hill, I was hot, tired, and it was late in the day so I skipped the museum. The second time I visited the Palatine Hill, the museum was completely closed for some reason, and the third time I visited the Palatine Hill, the first floor of the museum was open, where I took my pictures, but the ground floor was closed. Unfortunately a lack of care for the tourist is the predominant feeling I have gotten from the entire site -- the museum is closed without notice at the ticket office, the signs are poor throughout the site, and there is no marked route that matches what's shown in the guide sheet that you might or might not get when you buy a ticket, depending on their supply. Hours: Viewable at any time The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome . At its peak is the Quirinal Palace, the official residence of the Italian President. But the entire hill is quite large, ranging south from there to the northern edge of the Imperial Fora . The hill was likely a small village of the Sabines during the 8th and 7th century BC, and became part of Rome during the 6th century BC.

Many ancient sites once located on the Quirinal Hill are now long gone, including a temple dedicated to Mars built by Augustus , the Gardens of Sallust, and the Baths of Constantine. Sights today on the Quirinal Hill include the Fountain of Castor and Pollux and the Quirinal Obelisk in the Piazza del Quirinal, the Four Fountains , the Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini, and the Trevi Fountain . Oops, I didn't get a panoramic photo from the Quirinal Hill, but I took the photos below facing west from Piazza del Quirinal, near the summit of the hill. Hours: Viewable at any time The Viminal Hill is the smallest and most difficult to find (for me) of the Seven Hills of Rome . It's peak is a few blocks due south from the Four Fountains , around Via Nazionale and Via Milano. The hill is located between the Quirinal Hill to the northwest and the Esquiline Hill to the southeast. I didn't take a panoramic photo from the peak of the Viminal Hill because I couldn't find anyplace that looked out over a vista. Buildings always blocked the view.

Instead, I post the three pictures below which were taken down streets from what I think might be the peak of the Viminal Hill. Ancient History/Rome/Origins - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Ancient History/Rome/Origins Rome's Geography[ edit ] The Tiber River[ edit ] Rome sat on the eastern shore of the Tiber River, at the only easy crossing place between the river mouth and the mountains. Seven hills rose there out of low and marshy ground. By the beginning of the ninth century BCE, these seven hills were occupied by village communities who kept farms in the low-lying areas and retreated to their hilltops for defense. The fording place on the river lay below a large island that was later dedicated to the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. Sometime in the sixth century BCE, the romans under the direction of their Etruscan kings built a wooden bridge over the Tiber at this point, facilitating communications between northern and southern Italy, and joining the Etrurian confederation to the Greek colonial cities in the district of Magna Graecia.

The Seven Hills[ edit ] Archaeology suggests that Rome began as a confederation of villages on the seven hills of Rome: the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Viminal, Quirinal, Esquiline, and the Caelian. The low-lying ground between them was swampy and malarial. Yet the presence of a natural fording place gave Rome some unusual advantages. Once the seven villages united, and invested the time in constructing an early wall around their territory, they could charge a toll for the use of the ford (and later the bridge). This was to prove an early source of Rome's wealth. Graves dating from the ninth and eighth centuries BCE suggest two common forms of burial in the area: cremation graves are clustered in Rome's Forum or marketplace, with a smattering of inhumations around them; a much larger cemetery lay in the valley between the Esquiline and Viminal hills. Tradition and myth provides a much more interesting, if less likely, story of Rome's founding.

One of the Vestal Virgins of the nearby town of Alba Longa had a sexual encounter with the god Mars, and bore Romulus and Remus, twin sons who catalyzed the fortification of a small urban area in what is now Rome. Capitoline[ edit ] Capitoline hill has deep roots in Roman history as its existence is acknowledged in the stories concerning the founding of Rome. Seven Hills of Rome - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus Seven Hills of Rome the hills on which the ancient city of Rome was built Class: Wikipedia: Seven hills of Rome | Seven Hills of Rome east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the ancient city. The seven hills are: Aventine Hill ; Caelian Hill ; Capitoline Hill ; Esquiline Hill ; Palatine Hill ; Quirinal Hill ; Viminal Hill ; The original city...

Collins Dictionary: Seven Hills of Rome the hills on which the ancient city of Rome was built: the Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Caelian, Aventine, Esquiline, and Viminal (20 of 215 words) Seven Hills of Rome [Italy] group of hills on or about which the ancient city of Rome was built. The original city of Romulus was built upon Palatine Hill. The other hills are ... (28 of 62 words) American Heritage Dictionary: Seven Hills of Rome The hills upon which the ancient city of Rome was built, including the Palatine (traditional site of the founding of the city), Aventine, Caelian, ... (24 of 35 words, pronunciation) New World Dictionary: Seven Hills of Rome seven low hills on the eastern bank of the Tiber, on & about which Rome was originally built; Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Palatine (approximately ...

(23 of 34 words) Random House Dictionary: Seven Hills of Rome the seven hills (the Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal) on and about which the ancient city of Rome was built. (23 of 27 words) Oxford Dictionary: Seven Hills of Rome the seven hills on which the ancient city of Rome was built: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Quirinal, Viminal, and Palatine (20 of 26 words) Columbia Encyclopedia: Rome Ital. "Roma", city (1991 population: 2,775,250), capital of Italy and see of the pope, whose residence, Vatican City, is a sovereign state within the ... (24 of 204 words) Macmillan British Dictionary: Rome | Rome wasn't built in a day | when in Rome do as the Romans do "Rome wasn't built in a day": used for saying that important things often take a long time to do | "when in Rome (do as the Romans do)": used for ...

(29 of 67 words, 2 definitions, pronunciation)

Question: The seven hills which lay within ancient Rome are the Capitoline, Caelian, Aventine, Palatine, Quirinal, Esquiline and which other hill?
Answer: Viminal