List of monuments of the Roman Forum
This list of monuments of the Roman Forum includes existing and former buildings, memorials and other built structures in the famous Roman public plaza during its 1,400 years of active use. It is divided into three categories: those ancient structures that can be seen today as ruins or reconstructions, ancient structures that have vanished or exist only as fragments, and churches of the later, Christian, era.
Many of the Forum's monuments were originally built in the periods of the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic, although most were destroyed and rebuilt several times. The existing ruins generally date from the Roman Empire.
Existing (or reconstructed) ruins
Temples
- Temple of Castor and Pollux
- Temple of Saturn
- Temple of Vesta
- Temple of Venus and Roma
- Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
- Temple of Caesar
- Temple of Vespasian and Titus
- Temple of Romulus
Basilicas
- Basilica Aemilia
- Basilica Julia
- Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine
- *Colossus of Constantine, colossal statue formerly in the west apse of the Basilica of Maxentius
Arches
Government buildings or official residences
- Regia, originally the residence of the kings of Rome or at least their main headquarters, and later the office of the Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of Roman religion.
- Curia Julia, official meeting place of the Roman Senate
- Tabularium, the records office of Rome; inside is the Tabularium Museum
- Portico Dii Consentes
- Atrium Vestae, the house of the Vestal Virgins.
- Tullianum, the prison used to hold various foreign leaders and generals.
Smaller monuments
- Rostra, platform from which politicians made their speeches to the Roman citizens
- Umbilicus urbis Romae, the designated centre of the city from which, and to which, all distances in Rome and the Roman Empire were measured
- Milliarium Aureum After Augustus erected this monument, all roads were considered to begin here and all distances in the Roman Empire were measured relative to that point.
- Column of Phocas, the last monument built within the Forum.
- Lapis Niger, a very ancient shrine which was obscure even to the Romans.
- Plutei of Trajan, now in the Curia Julia
Pools, springs
- The Lacus Curtius, the site of a mysterious pool venerated by Romans even after they had forgotten what it signified.
- The Lacus Iuturnae, a healing pool where Castor and Pollux were said to have watered their horses
Roads, streets, staircases
- Gemonian stairssteps situated in the central part of Rome, leading from the Arx of the Capitoline Hill down to the Roman Forum.
- Clivus Capitolinus was the street that started at the Arch of Tiberius, wound around the Temple of Saturn, and ended at Capitoline Hill.Via Sacra, the famous processional street of Roman Triumphs; linked the Atrium Vestae with the Colosseum.
- ''Vicus Jugarius''
Vanished (or almost vanished) structures
Associated with the old Comitium
- Curia Hostilia, original meeting place of the Senate
- Basilica Porcia, first basilica in the Forum area; built by Marcus Portius Cato
- Curia Cornelia, subsequent meeting place of the Senate
- Rostra Vetera, main speaker's platform until it was replaced by the nearby Rostra Augusta
- Graecostasis, platform or "grandstand" for Greek and other foreign ambassadors
- Statue of Attus Navius and the Ficus Navia, in front of the Curia Hostilia
- Columna Maenia, a commemorative column celebrating the Battle of Antium
- Columna Rostrata C. Duilii, a commemorative column celebrating the naval Battle of Mylae ; remnants of the inscription are in the Capitoline Museum
Elsewhere in the Forum
- Altar of Saturn, much older than the associated Temple of Saturn
- Arch of Augustus, commemorated the Battle of Actium
- Arch of Fabius, earliest triumphal arch in the Forum
- Arch of Tiberius
- Basilica Fulvia, replaced by the Basilica Aemilia in 78 BC
- Basilica Paulli
- Basilica Opimia
- Basilica Sempronia, replaced by the Basilica Julia in 46 BC
- "Ficus, Olea, Vitus", a small garden plot in the center of the Forum plaza where a fig-tree, olive-tree and grape-vine were cultivated; beside the Lacus Curtius
- Domus Aurea, part of its porticoed entrance extended into the eastern Forum
- Domus Publica, official residence of the Pontifex Maximus near the Regia
- Office of the Scribes and Heralds of the Aediles
- Pool of Servilius, near the Basilica Julia; Sulla displayed heads of executed Senators there
- Rostra Diocletiani, in front of the Temple of Caesar; on the opposite side of the Forum from the Rostra Augusti
- Shrine of Faustina the Younger
- Shrine of Vulcan
- Shrine of Venus Cloacina
- Statua Marsyae, the satyr depicted with wineskin over his left shoulder and raising his right arm; a symbol of liberty
- Statue of Constantine the Great
- Statue of Domitian
- Statue of Tremulus
- Statue of Vertumnus
- Temple of Augustus
- Temple of Bacchus
- Temple of Concord
- Temple of Janus
- Temple of Jupiter Stator, either on the Forum or on the Palatine Hill
- Tribunal Aurelium, near the Temple of Castor and Pollux
- Tribunal of the City Praetor
- Tribunal of the Praetor for Foreigners
- Well-head of Libo
- Statues of numerous other gods and men
Christian churches
- S. Maria Antiqua, oldest Christian monument in the Forum
- *Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, attached to S. Maria Antiqua
- SS. Cosmas and Damian, inside the "Temple of Romulus"
- SS. Martina e Luca
- SS. Sergio e Bacco
- S. Lorenzo de’ Speziali in Miranda, inside the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
- S. Adriano, formerly inside the Curia Julia
- S. Francesca Romana, or Sta. Maria Nuova
- S. Maria Liberatrice
- S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami