Published on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 by Kathy McCabe A section of Palatine Hill in Rome has opened to the public for the first time in centuries, allowing visitors to take in 1,200 years of the Eternal City's history. One of Rome’s seven hills, Palatine Hill overlooks the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus in the city center, but the newly opened spot is a place where tourists can experience nature in the middle o...

Published on Monday, December 11, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Rome’s popular 13th emperor is getting a new exhibit detailing his life and legacy, in time for the 1900th anniversary of his death. Trajan, who ruled the Roman Empire from 98 to 117 A.D., was referred to as the optimus princeps (the best ruler) by the senate at the time. He is most known for his military victories in the expansion of the Roman Empire to its largest...

Published on Sunday, June 5, 2016 by Kathy McCabe A new feature will allow the public to see the Roman Forum in a new light this summer – literally, as the Forum will be illuminated by LEDs and open for nighttime tours for the first time. The lights cast white and yellow highlights onto the site’s most famous structures, drawing attention to details on parts of the Forum including the via Sacra, the monumentâ€...

Published on Sunday, December 6, 2015 by Kathy McCabe As Rome prepares for a Jubilee Year (otherwise known as a Catholic Holy Year), city authorities have banned actors who dress up as ancient centurion guards and charge tourists for photo opportunities of and with them. According to Reuters, new and extended security measures for the Jubilee include making sure visitors to the capital are not subjected to the centur...

Published on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Proving there’s always something new to discover among Rome’s ancient treasures, the Roman Forum recently opened a newly restored section to the public for the first time. The Imperial Ramp, a more than 2,000-year-old pathway connecting the public part of the Forum to emperors’ private residences, offers a new look at how the rich and famous lived in ancient Rom...

Published on Monday, June 29, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Back in 81 AD, the Roman Emperor would have entered the Circus Maximus in grand style, standing in a chariot steered through the newly constructed Arch of Titus. But until recently, the only records of that structure existed in medieval-era documents; stone that wasn’t pilfered sank beneath the ground and was lost for eight centuries. However, this spring archaeo...

Published on Friday, June 12, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Rome’s gladiator barracks, part of the city’s famous Colosseum, may soon be accessible to the public—thanks, in part, to the Kuwaiti government. An ancient tunnel linking those training chambers to the main arena could be restored with funds from a multi-million dollar grant from Kuwait, writes The Telegraph. The Ludus Magnus (Great Training Facility) was the...

Published on Monday, September 29, 2014 by Kathy McCabe To commemorate 2,000 years since the death of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, in 14 AD, the ancient Baths of Diocletian reopened to the public last week in Rome. Visitors can view the natation (outdoor swimming pool) and the small cloister of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, which was built in the 16th century on the ruins of the baths. Marble sculptures...

Published on Monday, April 21, 2014 by Kathy McCabe While Pompeii may be the most famous archaeological site in Italy, fans of Ancient Rome often argue that the lesser-known ruins of Ostia Antica, just outside of Rome, surpass Pompeii in quality. Now there's even more reason to get your archaeological fix at this old port town with a secret part of the ancient site recently unearthed. "The find is enormous, inclu...

Published on Monday, February 3, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Today the Vatican opened the Roman Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis to the public for the first time. The ancient burial ground dates back to the first century B.C. when it was the place of final rest for local Romans. The 10,000-square-foot site was originally uncovered during the 1950s during construction of a new parking garage underneath the Vatican. ...