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My favorite stop in ancient Rome, and it's on your Colosseum ticket

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

​Inside Ancient Rome​

THE HILL WHERE ROME BEGAN

This Week's Deep Dive:

Your Colosseum ticket covers three sites: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill is the one people tend to skip, usually because they run out of time or energy after the first two. I think that is a mistake.

In my opinion, it's one of the best ancient Roman sites you can visit, but it helps to know what you are looking at before you go.

Why it's Worth the Visit

The Palatine Hill is the only part of the Colosseum complex that still feels lived in. You walk through the rooms the emperors used, see the wall paintings still on the walls, and from the top you look down on the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus below.

It is also the quietest of the three sites, with shade and seating, which makes it the section to save for midday in summer.

A Tour I Recommend and Trust

The ruins on the Palatine Hill do not explain themselves, and a guide makes the difference between seeing rubble and understanding what you are looking at.

The one I recommend is the VIP Caesar's Palace tour from Walks of Italy. It's small group, covers the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine, and includes the House of Augustus and the Palatine Museum, which are not part of a standard ticket.

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Elyssa Bernard

I'm a YouTuber, entrepreneur, and marketer who loves to talk about culture & entertainment, travel, and food & drink. Subscribe and join over 15,000+ newsletter readers every week!

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