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Visit to Palatine Hill |
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written
by Lesley Everett / 07.12.2004 |
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Connection to Research |
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The Palatine is one of my favorite of the seven hills in Rome, but our visit there was a little disappointing because several of the highlights and major attractions were not open to the public. I was excited to see the remnants of the mosaic floors and frescoes in the House of Livia as well as the Cryptoporticus of Nero (the passageway between the hill and Nero's Golden House), but neither of these were open when we visited. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the residential atmosphere of the hill and it was easy to imagine the area covered in grand palaces and ornate gardens. After reading about the Palatine before our trip, I expected the houses and hill to be more well preserved than they actually are. Most of the structures are almost completely demolished and all that remains are their outlines and the bases of many columns. One thing I hadn't realized from previous research is that the hill has some of the best panoramic views in all the city. It's no surprise that all the wealthy emperors and ruling class chose this hill as their home- it's the most grandiose and impressive of them all.
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Element of Interest |
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My favorite part of Palatine Hill was the Stadium of Domitian. It's a large rectangular field (a little more narrow than a football field but quite a bit longer) that's built below the main residential level of the hill and is surrounded by massive stone walls which stand at least 30 feet high. The stadium was probably used for horse races and athletic events, but some historians think it was a sunken garden. When we visited, we saw a team of archeologists down on the field level taking photos of the remaining columns and stones. I was really surprised that people still study those ruins because I assumed that everything possible to know about them has already been discovered, documented, and published. Looking at the dimensions of the stadium and the oval shaped layout of column bases at the southern end of the field made me curious about the stadium's original purpose- who would build a huge monument or structure right in the track where all the horses ran and what was its purpose?
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Questions |
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When I first read about the Palatine, I wanted to know how well intact the palaces currently are and if the hill will ever be used for any other purpose than as a historical sight. Now that I've seen the hill, I realize that it will continue to be used as a profitable tourist attraction- the Palatine is the only hill which requires a ticket for entrance. The ruins are amazing to explore, but there's not much left of the palaces or gardens. The House of Livia and a former Farnese palace are the most well preserved structures on the hill.
After seeing the Stadium of Domitian, I want to learn more about the fragmented ruins in the field and I'd like to know what the oval shaped layout of columns used to look like. I'm also curious about how many people lived on the hill at one time and when construction of new palaces ended.
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Image Analysis |
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| Stadium of Domitian |
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This picture shows the sunken Stadium of Domitian which was probably used for horse races or athletic events. Emperors and residents could watch the festivities from the walkways and gardens above the stone walls. Some historians and archeologists claim the area was a sunken garden. The picture shows the scale and opulence of the stadium and all of the surrounding structures on the hill, but it doesn't show any of the hill's great panoramic views.
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