Imperial Rome: Architecture and History of the Archaeological Center
DURATION: 3 hours
PRICE: €270 per group + €14 pp
This three-hour walking seminar focuses on the history and development of Rome during the Imperial period (roughly from the time of Julius Caesar to the fall of Rome). Using key monuments from this period as our textbook, including the Colosseum, Imperial Fora and the Markets of Trajan, we'll discuss the rapid expansion of the city and the empire under the emperors and how Romans lived 2000 years ago.
A scholar-led tour of the Colosseum and Markets of Trajan
We will begin our exploration with the Colosseum, ancient Rome's most visual legacy and an structure emblematic of the ambitious building programs of various emperors. Here will we introduce several key themes in our discussion, including the role of entertainment in society and the ways that power was projected during the Imperial period. After visiting the amphitheater and discussing its role in Rome, we will continue down the via dei Fori Imperiali, a modern road that looks down over the ruins of several squares, temples, and other structures (collectively, fora) built by such emperors as Augustus and Trajan. We will use this opportunity to talk about the great expansion in the city in the first centuries of the common era and the ways in which the old Republican city was transformed.
The second part of the walk will focus on the emperor Trajan and his development of the city, with the markets and the monumental column of Trajan as our focal points. We will linger among the ruins for a while, examining the fantastic details of the Basilica Ulpia and possibly entering it (the site is open on special occasion). Our docent will explain the relationship between some of the surrounding Medieval structures and the Imperial buildings, creating a narrative that will link the different historical periods. There are tens of thousands of fascinating details to focus upon and based on how our conversation has developed to that point our docent will pick apart a few salient ones to help the group get a perspective on the history of this area.
From Trajan's markets we will continue on to see the Roman houses at the bottom of the Capitoline Hill (Aracoeli), the only remains of Roman apartments visible above ground. This will give a nice addition to all the large-scale public buildings visited earlier in the walk and will provide insight in the daily life of the Romans. If time allows, we could continue towards the theater of Marcellus, where we could talk quickly through the temples ending the walk at the Porticus of Octavia,another building that tells us about the daily life of the Romans, as it was a type of building the Romans used for leisure walking, education, and exhibiting art pieces.
This walk does overlap with our Roma Antica, which is a four-hour in depth seminar that visits the Palatine Hill, Imperial Forum, Colosseum. Therefore, we suggest clients book one or the other, but not both.
The cost of this tour is priced for a group of six people max. We sometimes allow for groups as large as eight people, for which we charge 30 Euros for each additional person. This charge will be added after your order is in our system. For groups larger than eight we require that you split into two smaller groups.
When you book your Imperial Rome walk, we will add the price of Colosseum tickets and reservations (14 euro). This will be calculated when you checkout according to the number of people in your group. You will need to purchase entrance tickets to Trajan's Markets (€6.50) during the course of the walk. Please note that only children or seniors from the European Union are eligible for a discounted ticket. If you are eligible for the discount, please indicate this in special requests and be prepared to bring ID with you.
If you will be using a Rome Archeological Pass or Roma Pass for the entrance fees, please note this in special requests so you will not be charged for entrance. These passes, however, must be purchased before the tour and in order to use the Roma Pass, the Colosseum must be one of your two free entries allowed.