Capitoline Hill is one of the seven sacred hills where Ancient Rome was laid and where its history began. Here they prayed to the ancient gods, passed laws, built castles of the patrician and created the masters of the Renaissance. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Rome every year to see the Capitol and touch the thousand-year history. Could not ignore him and BlogoItaliano.
... The history of the Roman Capitol began from the very moment when the she-wolf found the twins Romulus and Remus, and, pitying the babies, fed them with her milk.
History and ancient capitol temples
Either in memory of his salvation, or there was another reason, but it was this place that Romulus chose for the construction of a new city, calling it Rome.
At the beginning of the 5th century BC at this place the Capitoline Temple was erected in honor of the ancient Roman gods - Jupiter, Minerva and Juno. The Senate gathered here, sacrifices were made and laws were written. For the Romans, the temple was not just the center of religion, but the embodiment of power and authority, a symbol of the power of the Roman Republic, and later the Empire.
To see the Capitol, hundreds of thousands of tourists come to Rome every year.
The fall of the empire led to the decline and ruin of the Capitoline Temple. Other structures were erected on the ancient ruins, and there was a time when goats grazed on the hill.
Michelangelo and the Capitol Revival
Papa Paul III (1534 - 1549), a great admirer of art and science, decided to return the Capitol to its former greatness. Under him, Michelangelo began the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, wrote The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, and in 1537, on behalf of the pontiff, he engaged in the reconstruction of buildings and the reconstruction of Capitoline Square.
And although the death of the master (1564) did not allow to complete the plan (the students completed the restoration), the Capitoline Square ensemble created by Michelangelo is the most integral and harmonious of all the squares of Rome.
Michelangelo took up the reconstruction of Capitoline Square in 1537
In the center of the trapezoid square there is an equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, miraculously preserved from ancient times. And on its three sides are located: Palace of Senators (today the city hall), the Palace of Conservatives and his twin brother Palazzo Nuovo, built in the XVII century. The Capitoline Museums are located in both buildings, where you can see famous paintings by artists, antique sculptures, porcelain, coins, old clothes, a statue of the Capitoline Wolf and others.
From the fourth - the open side of the square - you can go down to the residential quarters along the famous Cordonata stairs. Below, at the base, it is "guarded" by marble sculptures of Egyptian lions, and above are statues of the twin brothers Castor and Pollux, found during excavations in Pompeii in 1583. Behind the Dioscuros along the balustrade there are several more statues: Emperor Constantine, his son Constantine II, milestones from the Appian Way and sculptures from the ancient fountain "Mario Trophies".
Insula and Mamertinsky prison
Despite the fact that little remains of the ancient buildings on the Capitol, in terms of their historical value, these two structures are able to give odds to a dozen others. And one of them - the ancient Roman insula - is a high-rise building in which apartments are rented out.
The ruins of an ancient Roman insula can be seen at the foot of Capitol Hill
The ruins of such an insula (2nd century AD) can be seen at the foot of Capitol Hill, to the left of the stairs leading to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli. Of the proposed five floors, four are well preserved, but you can imagine how the building looked in the past. According to sources, the first floors were usually occupied by artisan shops and workshops. Apartments on the second floor with a toilet and, very rarely, water supply, could only afford wealthy citizens. Well, on the upper floors, which did not have amenities, the poor were housed. Each floor had its own staircase, stone or wooden.
Mamertinsky prison is the most ancient landmark of the Capitol, erected according to various sources, either in the VI or IV centuries. BC. In a two-story underground structure, executions were awaited by statesmen and ordinary criminals.
Mamertinsky prison - the most ancient landmark of the Capitol
According to legend, it was here that the apostles Peter and Paul spent their last days, in honor of which a small altar with frescoes of saints was installed in the dungeon. After the prison was closed (end of the 4th century), pilgrims stretched here to worship the saints, and in the 16th century a church of St. John was built over the former prison. Joseph Carpenter (San Giuseppe dei Falegnami).
Everyone can come here and bow to the faces of the saints, the entrance to the dungeons of the former prison, and today the museum, is absolutely free.
Address: Via Clivo Argentario 1. You can get on the metro, get off at Colosseo Station.
Working hours: daily from 9.00 to 18.30. A short break from 12.30 to 14.00.
According to legend, it was here that the apostles Peter and Paul spent their last days
Basilica of the Virgin Mary (Santa Maria in Aracoeli)
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli was erected on the site of the ancient temple of Juno Coins, which means “counselor” in Latin. By the way, Roman money was called by the name of the goddess - coins - and minted on the territory of the temple. It is from here that the words known to all come from: “coin” and “money”.
The legend of how geese saved Rome is also associated with the temple of Juno. This bird, which was considered sacred in the temple, in the middle of the night, sensing "strangers", woke the guards with a gnaw, and it, in turn, protected Rome from the attack of the Gauls.
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli was erected on the site of the ancient temple of Juno Coins
The Capitoline Basilica of the Virgin Mary also has its own legend, concluded in its name. According to legend, the emperor Octavian Augustus had a prophetic vision - a holy virgin with the son of God in her arms. The vision shocked the emperor so much that he decided to build an altar on the top of the hill, calling it "Aracoeli" (Altar of Heaven). Found artifacts and inscriptions with their presence actually confirm this legend. And the altar, laid in honor of Jesus before his birth, of all Christian altars is considered the most ancient.
Today, the relics of St. Helena and the miraculous icon of Madonna Aracheli (X century), tombs of famous Roman families with tombstones made by famous masters of the Renaissance.
Where is and how to get to the Capitol and museums:
Address: Piazza del Campidoglio
You can get to Capitol Square by metro: from the Colosseo station (line B) to the Capitol - 10-15 minutes walk. You need to go along the Via Dei Fori Imperiali in the direction of Piazza Venezia along the Roman Forum, which will be on your left.
By Bus: Nos. 30, 51, 81, 83, 85, 87, 118, 160, 170, 628, 810. Get off at the Ara Coeli-Piazza Venezia stop.
Finally, Capitoline Hill is in the TOP list of our route. What to see in Rome on your own in 1 day.
Coach in Venice Square
Opening hours and weekends
Capitoline Square and ancient monuments on it are open to the public around the clock.
- Opening hours of the Basilica of the Virgin Mary: from 8.00 to 19.00, daily service runs from 8:00 to 12:00. Free admission.
- Opening hours of the Capitoline Museums: daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., an hour before the museum closes, public access is terminated.
- Museums are open on December 24 and December 31: from 9:30 to 14:00.
- Weekend: December 25, January 1, May 1
Tickets
Tickets to the capitol museums are combined, they combine several exhibits at once. The cost of one ticket is 15 euros, but for one day to thoroughly examine everything at once is unrealistic.
For those who are ready to devote a few days to visiting museums, it’s more profitable to immediately buy a “Capitol Map” worth 16 euros. She gives the right to visit all the exhibits in the Capitoline Museums for a week.
And finally, we recommend subscribing to our free Italian life hacking course. Using the secret "features" described in the course, you will see more than 95% of Roman tourists.
