Capitoline Hill of Rome

The Capitoline Hill of Rome is one of the seven hills on which Ancient Rome arose. On the Capitol there was the Capitoline Temple, which was also called the Capitol, where meetings of the Senate and popular assemblies took place. On the hill is the Church of the Virgin Mary, a popular monument to Marcus Aurelius. No matter the weather, the flow of tourists to the Capitol never stops.

History of the Capitoline Hill of Rome

According to legend, Romulus picked up this hill to create a new city and called it Rome. The Capitoline Temple was built at the beginning of the fifth century BC. The Senate worked here, sacrifices were made, new laws were adopted. The palace was built in honor of the gods: Minerva and Juno, Jupiter. The capital was not only the center of religion for the inhabitants, but also demonstrated the strength of the empire. The Empire collapsed and the Capitol was empty. There was a time when the Capitoline Hills were pastures and new buildings were built on ancient ruins. Pontiff Paul III decided to revive the Capitoline Hill. The restoration project was developed by Michelangelo on behalf of the Pope. Unfortunately, the untimely death of the master did not bring all of Buonarroti's ideas to life. However, the maestro made the Capitol Square trapezoidal. He built monumental palaces on three sides. In the middle he built the Senate Palace. The Palace of the Conservatives was built on the right, and Palazzo Nuovo on the left.

Attractions

There is a lot to see on the Capitoline Hill in Rome. Hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world come for this. Local residents make appointments at the hill to spend free time or discuss business matters. The most popular attractions of the Capitoline Hill of Rome include:

• Palace of Senators. The structure was built in the first century BC. The building was used as an archival storage facility. During the transportation of the archive, the building gradually collapsed. After the restoration of the Capitoline Square, the palace began to shine again, and the city council moved its residence here, so not all the premises were open to tourists.
• Palace of Conservatives. The building was opened for meetings of the Senate in the fifteenth century. While the palace is open, you can visit the art gallery. It presents works by Italian artists, paintings by Flemish and Spanish masters, and you can see a collection of ancient Roman busts. The palace has a special room in which there is a large statue of the Capitoline Wolf. According to legend, she nursed the brothers who founded the Roman Empire.
• Ancient Roman insula. This is an ancient building of great cultural and historical value. The insula was the prototype of a multi-story building in which the Romans rented their houses. The building was built in the second century AD at the foot of the hill near the stairs to the Basilica of the Virgin Mary.
• Basilica of the Virgin Mary. It was erected on the site of the altar of the ancient Roman goddess Juno. Today the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Helen are kept here. Entrance to the basilica is free. The museum is open every day of the week.

The Capitoline Hill of Rome is the smallest of all the hills of Rome, it rises near the southern bank of the Tiber, northwest of the Palatine Hill, above the forum located in the valley, up to 46 meters above sea level. Even those who have never been to Italy know about the Capitoline Hill of Rome. Local residents explain this by the fact that people from all over the world are interested in history, and this can be called a reason for pride.