Curia

Ancient Rome

LoginSave

On the Roman Forum, the Curia was the meeting place of the Roman Senate. According to tradition, it was originally built by Tullo Ostilio, the third of Rome's seven kings, and later rebuilt by Silla around 80 BC. Julius Caesar moved it to its current location where it was subsequently modified by Augustus, Domitian and Diocletian, before being converted into a church in the Middle Ages. The brick barn-like construction you see today is a 1937 reconstruction of Diocletian's building.

The bronze doors are copies – the originals were used by Borromini for the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Rome Lazio Italy. The Vatican Museums in Vatican City. Raphael rooms frescoes

    Vatican Museums

    1.84 MILES

    Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and enlarged by successive pontiffs, the Vatican Museums boast one of the world's greatest art…

  • Inside the Colosseum, an amphitheater located in Ancient Rome. 614830518 Lazio, Color Image, Travel Destinations, Horizontal, Panoramic, Famous Place, Photography, Amphitheater, Rome - Italy, Italy, Capital Cities, Roman, Coliseum - Rome, Europe, Monument, Old Ruin, Built Structure, Indoors, Ruin, Innovation, Rome

    Colosseum

    0.4 MILES

    Everyone wants to see the Colosseum, and it doesn’t disappoint, especially if accompanied by tales of armored gladiators and hungry lions. More than any…

  • Basilica di San Pietro. Rome. Italy. 160245212 ancient, architecture, basilica, building, capital, cathedral, catholic, church, city, day, dome, egyptian, europe, exterior, facade, famous, front, heritage, historical, history, italian, italy, landmark, monument, obelisk, old, outdoor, peter, piazza, religion, roma, roman, rome, saint, san pietro, sightseeing, sky, square, st peter, street, touristic, travel, urban, vatican, view

    St Peter's Basilica

    1.72 MILES

    In the city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter's, Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica. Built atop a 4th…

  • 568886113 2015; Ancient History; Ancient Rome; Archaeology; Architecture; Capital Cities; City; Copy Space; Day; High Angle View; International Landmark; Italian Culture; Italy; Lazio; Majestic; No People; Old Ruin; Outdoors; Photography; Roman; Roman Forum; Rome; Rome - Italy; Scenics - Nature; Temple - Building; Temple Of Saturn; The Past; Tourism; Travel Destinations; Vertical; The temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, Rome, Lazio.

    Roman Forum

    0.11 MILES

    An impressive – if rather confusing – sprawl of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples...

  • Farnese Gardens built a top Domus Tiberiana on Palatine Hill at the Roman forum in Rome, Italy.

    Palatino

    0.31 MILES

    Sandwiched between the Roman Forum and the Circo Massimo, the Palatino (Palatine Hill) is one of Rome's most spectacular sights. It's a beautiful,…

  • OCTOBER 3, 2012: Antique marble busts inside the Capitoline Museum. 311817245 hill, italian, nobody, rome, national, sculpture, capitol, italy, travel, statue, european, destinations, culture, landmark, attraction, details, old, roman, historic, figure, famous, interior, inside, classic, exhibit, tourism, art, roma, antique, ancient, indoor, vacation, capitoline, europe, museum, close-up, luxury, human, man, nice, tourist, many, lot, history, stone, marble, head, fine, hellenistic

    Capitoline Museums

    0.13 MILES

    Dating from 1471, the Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museums, with a fine collection of classical sculpture.

  • The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome.

    Pantheon

    0.59 MILES

    With its revolutionary design, this awe-inspiring temple has served as an architectural blueprint for millennia.

  • Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy

    Piazza Navona

    0.74 MILES

    With its showy fountains, baroque palazzi and colorful cast of street artists, hawkers and tourists, Piazza Navona is central Rome’s elegant showcase…

View more attractions

Nearby Ancient Rome attractions

1. Lapis Niger

0.01 MILES

Hidden by scaffolding on the Roman Forum, the Lapis Niger ('Black Stone' in Latin) is a large slab of black marble that covered an underground area said…

2. Arco di Settimio Severo

0.03 MILES

Dedicated to the eponymous emperor and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, the 23m-high Arco di Settimio Severo was built in the Roman Forum in AD 203 to…

3. Piazza del Foro

0.03 MILES

This was originally the main square and meeting place on the Roman Forum. Its main feature is the free-standing Colonna di Foca.

4. Colonna di Foca

0.03 MILES

The Colonna di Foca marks the centre of Piazza del Foro, the Roman Forum's principal square. The last monument erected on the forum, it was built in…

5. Rostri

0.04 MILES

An elaborate podium overlooking what was the main square on the Roman Forum, this is where Shakespeare had Mark Antony make his famous 'Friends, Romans,…

6. Carcere Mamertino

0.04 MILES

Hidden beneath the 16th-century Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Falegnami, the Mamertine Prison was ancient Rome's maximum-security jail. St Peter did time…

7. Basilica Fulvia Aemilia

0.04 MILES

A series of column stubs and littered masonry near the entrance to the Roman Forum on Largo della Salara Vecchia are all that remain of the Basilica…

8. Via Sacra

0.04 MILES

The cobbled Via Sacra, the main road through the Roman Forum, traverses the site, running from the Capitoline Hill to the Arco di Tito at the forum's…