How to Go to Rome’s Palatine Hill
Ancient history looms everywhere you look in Rome, where citizens live and work among the ruins of a civilization that once ruled the world. Legend has it that the Palatine Hill was the site of the birth of Rome. Spectacular views of history are the attraction of Palatine Hill (Palatino), don’t-miss to visit it for a tour.
Instructions
- Prepare yourself for your visit by obtaining tourist guidebooks and maps. One of the best books is "Rome Monuments Past and Present," a small book available on stands in the area of the Forum or in bookstores. It features present day views of the Colosseum, the Pantheon and other monuments together with plastic overlays that illustrate how these structures and scenes looked when the Romans built them. The booklet describes the history of each site in great detail.
- Take a tour: Ask for tour information at your hotel, or go to the Stazione Terminal, the major train terminal in Rome, and look for bus tour information. You can arrange a walking tour through Enjoy Rome. A formal tour may be the best way to visit Palatine Hill or any other attraction in Rome. If you prefer to go it alone, take the Metro Line B to Colosseo and go across the street. By bus, take 85, 850 or minibus 117.
- The ruins include what is left of houses and imperial palaces, the throne room of Domus Flavia, the palace of Domitian (the stadium) and Livia’s House. Look for the Circus Maximus where chariot races entertained millions of Romans.
- Look down at the towering columns of the Roman Forum, between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. The Forum was the center of the city’s legal, political, religious and commercial life. The majestic ruins dwarf the people below.
