Palatine Hill, Rome

The views from the Palatine Hill are stunning, and the Farnese gardens are lovely. The palaces of Roman emperors stretch before you, including the House of Livia with its wall-paintings and mosaics. Many people do not realise that the hill really is the oldest part of Rome.........an Iron Age settlement which dates from 800 BCE has been excavated. The Palatine museum has interesting displays about this very early settlement, as well as many artefacts discovered on the site.

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Palatine Hill was the rich neighborhood of Rome. In fact the word "palace" derives from this hill. The largest complex on the hill is the palace of the emporer Domitian. The area is accessed from Via San Gregorio and requires an admission ticket.

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The Palatine, once the residence of emperors and aristocrats, is the most pleasant of Rome's ancient sites. The ruins range from the simple house in which Augustus is thought to have lived (in fact he was born here in 63 BC), to the Domus Flavia and Domus Augustana, the public and private wings of a luxurious palace built by Domitian.

According to legend the twins Romulus and Remus were brought up on the Palatine by a wolf. Here Romulus, having killed his brother, is said to have founded the village that was destined to become Rome. Traces of mud huts dating back to the 8th century BC have been found on the hill, lending archaeological support to the legend.

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The Palatine Hill is the supposed location of the first settlements in Rome. There are traces of an Iron Age village on the hill to support this theory.
At the time of my visit, the admission price to the Palatine Hill was included with that of the Roman Forum but perhaps I am confused since the Forum is suppose to be free while the Palatine Hill is suppose to charge 6 Euros for admittence. The hill overlooks both the Forum and the Colosseum. In time it became as the Roman Republic rose, the Palatine Hill became prime real estate and many important officals lived here. All that remains today are the ruins of what were at onetime magnificent palaces and bath houses. Probably the most beautiful part of Palatine Hill for me was the Farnese Gardens. This is the first botanical gardens ever in Europe. They do not date from Roman times but were actually laid out by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in the mid-sixteenth century. They include a lovely pavilion and terrace from which there are good view of Rome. The whole place seemed very lush especially so during my visit because it had just rained about one hour before. Also I noticed that few tourists who visit the Roman Forum seem to want to make the effort to climb up the hill. This means the place is actually very peaceful.

According to tradition, Romulus and Remus were brought up here by a wolf in a cave. Traces of Iron Age huts, dating from the 8th century B.C., have been found on the Palatine hill, providing archaeological support for the area’s legendary links with the founding of Rome. The Palatine was a very desirable place to live, becoming home to some of the city’s most famous inhabitants, and, later, emperors (hence the name ‘palace’). Admission fee is 10€, 6.5€ for E.U. citizens, free for 65+ year old people. The ticket is also valid for the Colosseum.

The Palatine is where the nucleus of the ancient Roma was located (the "square Rome"). As the legend says, it was founded by Romulus by 753 AC.
In its origins, it was composed by 2 hills: the Palatium and the Germalus, both of them united later by the Domiciano. The Palatine has the best ruins and the richest historical background. In the hill you can find Ciceron's house and many emperor's palaces, as well as the Casa di Livia -the house of Augustus- with a very good collection of roman artifacts.
On the hill you can also find the Palatinian Stadium (built by Domiciano), the Domus Severiana and the Paedagogium, the school for imperial slaves.
One tip: the entrance ticket to the Palatine serves also for the Coliseum. It's better to buy the ticket here, even if you're not going to visit it, as the queues in the Coliseum can be very long. This way, you just pass by and show your ticket.

When you visit the the Roman ruins make sure that you go up Palatine Hill. This place was dominated by the massive palace complex of the Roman emperors. If Augustus had intially lived in a relatively modest house on the hill, then his successors showed no such restraint. The palace was placed so as to look down upon the Circus Maximus.

The most impressive ruins remaining today are those of the Domus Flavia and the Domus Augustana, both built by emperor Domitian. The Domus Flavia was the official part of the palace in which emissaries might be received or state banquets might be held. The Domus Augustana meanwhile was the emperor's luxurious private residence.

Part of Domitian's palace was this open area known as the Stadium. Opinions are divided on if this was a stadium for exercising horses or merely a large garden. The oval enclosure at one end of it is an addition made by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric in the 6th century.

Palatino is the mythical place where Rome was founded: here was situated the lair of the wolf that raised Romolo and Remo.
This place offers spectacular views of the ancient Rome.
Being the more centralised of the seven hills, in republican and imperial era Palatino was the more attractive place to reside.
The most important site you can visit today are Domus Augustana, Domiziano Stadium, Domus Flavia, Livia's House (Livia was Emperor Augusto's wife), ...