PALATINE HILL

Description

Essentials about the Palatine Hill in brief

Palatine Hill is the cradle of the Eternal City. It is one of the seven hills of Rome and is considered the oldest inhabited part of the city. As early as the 10th century BC, there were human settlements on the hill located between the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and Circus Maximus. To almost all sides – except to the northeast, where the higher ridge of Velia is located – Palatine Hill slopes steeply for about 30 meters. Its height is about 51 meters, while the total area on the hill ridge occupies about 10 hectares. If you want to know what it was like in the times of Roman antiquity on Palatine Hill, you should not miss the Palatine Museum after a walk over the hill, which is still an active excavation site.

The history of Palatine Hill

According to the founding legend of Rome, the brothers Romulus and Remus held a bird show to decide who should rule over Rome – Romulus on Palatine Hill, Remus on Aventine Hill. Since Romulus was proclaimed the winner, Palatine Hill is also considered the legendary site of the city’s founding. In ancient Rome, on Palatine Hill, as a sacred place in the midst of the magnificent villas, still stood the poor hut called Casa Romuli, in which Romulus had allegedly lived.

Since the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC temples were built on Palatine Hill. Preserved today are, among others, the remains of the temples of Magna Mater (Cybele), Victoria and Apollo. Since the end of the 2nd century BC (the period of the Roman Republic), Palatine Hill advanced to the residential district of wealthy Romans because of its beautiful views and the supposedly good air. Among them were many aristocrats, consuls, tribunes of the people and orators. The houses of the aristocratic upper class outdid each other in luxury and splendor.

Since Emperor Augustus established his residence on Palatine Hill, many Roman emperors subsequently resided on the hill. Nero included Palatine Hill in his Golden House, which today lies buried under the ruins of the Baths of Trajan. Still visible today, among other things, is Domitian’s oversized palace complex with the Domus Flavia (government and representative building) and with the Domus Augustana (the emperor’s residence).

Northwest of the Domus Flavia is the House of Livia, one of the best preserved houses on Palatine Hill. The house dates back to the 1st century BC and was the home of Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia. In addition, the remains of the palace and Baths of Emperor Septimius Severus can still be seen on Palatine Hill. North of this palace is the so-called stadium. It is not clear if this area was actually a public or private stadium, or if it was used as a private imperial garden.

As an interesting side note, the imperial palaces located on Palatine Hill were collectively named palatium, from which the Italian word “palazzo”, the French “palais”, the English “palace” and the German “Palast” were derived.

When Constantine the Great moved the seat of government to Constantinople, the decline of palace buildings began. Byzantine governors continued to reside in them for some time, while others became churches. In the early Middle Ages, the family of the ancient Roman noble Frangipani family transformed the palaces into a fortress complex that extended to the Arch of Titus. In the 16th century, Palatine Hill was transformed into a park idyll. Wealthy families, such as the Farnese, created the Farnesine Gardens among the ruins, at that time the first botanical gardens in Europe.

The Palatine Hill Museum

Since much of the hill is still an active excavation site, the Palatine Museum – located on Domus Flavia – is the best way to learn what the hill must have once been like. In the nine rooms of the museum you can find pottery, frescoes, mosaics, inscriptions, sculptures and portrait heads that were actually found on the hill. By the way, in November 2007 a senstional excavation was made on Palatine Hill. 16 meters deep in the hill they discovered a cave decorated with shells and marble. Some archaeologists believe that this is the legendary Lupercal – the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by the she-wolf.