Rome is a city by visiting which a person will be able to touch time. It was built a very long time ago, and on its territory preserved places created more than two millennia ago. One of them is the Capitol. The architectural ensemble located on this hill is the most popular attraction. About the history of the Capitol, about how to get there, as well as its significance, read the article.
What is it?
It's believed that the name of the hill is due to the temple of the same name located on it. The exact lexical meaning of the word Capitol has not yet been established. A number of art historians believe that it carries such a meaning: a head, something important, most importantly, life or a person.
The Capitol in Rome is called Capitol Hill. This hill is the lowest in the city. Moreover, it is the center of the culture and politics of Rome, and is also visited annually by thousands of tourists. A large number of architectural monuments preserved from the time of antiquity are concentrated here.
Hill
The Capitol Ensemble in Rome is located on one of the hills, of which there are seven in the city. Each of them bears its own name: Celius, Palatine, Quirinal, Aventin, Viminal, Esquiline and Capitol.
All kinds of temples dedicated to the gods towered on the last hill from ancient times. The geese who lived in the Temple of Juno Coins warned the Romans that an attack was being made on them by the Gauls. Here was built the first courtyard on which money was minted. They began to call them coins in honor of the goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter. Seven hills are world famous. The Capitol is famous for the fact that there were a large number of signs. In addition, this place is considered sacred. All kinds of churches and basilicas are still located here.
There is no traveler in the world who does not know that seven hills lie at the base of Rome. However, few people understand that it was the Capitol that became the hill where the city originated. Since ancient times, on this hill was the political center of Rome. Previously, emperors ruled here, and now the mayor of the city and municipality works here.
The Capitol is a low hill. It rises above the Roman Forum. Its height is measured by forty-six meters.
Temple
The capitol in Rome is not only a hill. One of the most important temples of the city bears the same name. It is the first religious building built on this hill. It is dedicated to the so-called Capitoline Triad, which includes Minerva, Jupiter and Juno Coin. From ancient times, it consisted of three parts dedicated to a particular god or goddess. The center was dedicated to Jupiter, the right side to Minerva, and the left side to Juno. In each of the parts was an altar.
Here, they not only worshiped deities, but also minted coins and held councils. The temple housed an archive. This architectural monument forever remained a symbol of power, strength, immortality of Rome.
This building has a long history. Once the center of the city was concentrated in it, but then it lost its significance. In the fifth century, it was plundered during the capture of Rome. It is believed that then the ensemble lost not only a number of cult objects, but also several gold bars, which, according to legend, were stored under the throne of Jupiter in a specially created niche. The Capitoline Temple, or the Temple of Jupiter, was destroyed by time in the sixth century AD. Archaeologists have made every effort to restore it. Thanks to their efforts, part of the foundation and a small fragment of the wall were reconstructed. They can be seen in one of the halls of the Palazzo Conservatory.
History
The capitol in Rome became the religious, political center of this city immediately after it was founded. The fact is that defending Rome was easier on the high ground than in the lowlands. He served the Romans for a long time; the top of the hill was never empty. After the temple of the same name was destroyed, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli appeared nearby. It was located in the center of the hill. She not only served as a church, it held meetings of the people.
Near the foot of Arachel are ruins. They belong to the ancient building - insula, which served as a kind of modern hotel. From the first century, Rome was massively built up with similar buildings. At the same time, those people who did not have a lot of money lived on the upper floors, and wealthy citizens who were able to pay for housing settled on the first floors and got some amenities at their disposal. For example, sewage and water supply.
Until the sixteenth century, the buildings of the Capitoline ensemble were not restored, so many of them were in poor condition. However, when the Roman emperor Charles the Fifth of Habsburg decided to visit the city, Paul the Third became concerned about the view of Rome. Work on the restoration of the square, around which all the buildings were built, was entrusted to Michelangelo in 1536. Unfortunately, he did not have time to finish the work, and most of them were carried out according to his ideas under the guidance of the Italian architect, sculptor Giacomo Della Porta, as well as other students of Buonarroti. Capitol preserved as it was made by the works of these people by the end of 1654.
sights
The Capitol in Rome attracts travelers with its attractions, including:
- Staircase Cardonata. This is one of the three stairs that you can climb to a hill.
- Capitoline Square. It is located on the top of the hill, being its center. Along its perimeter, other sights of Rome are built.
- The equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, in turn, rises in the middle of the square.
- The symbol of the city is the Wolf, symbolizing justice. Previously, she was on the street, near the entrance to the Palazzo Conservatory, however, she was moved inside the building. Before this statue was found, a cage with a live she-wolf stood in the Capitol.
- Palace of Senators. For some time this architectural monument served as a repository, however, now the city hall of Rome is located in its walls. It is because of this that you can not get into all rooms.
- The Palace of Conservatives got its name due to the fact that it once hosted meetings of senators and judges. They were just called corservatives. Now the building serves as a museum where you can find busts and frescoes. The Pinakothek is also famous, where the canvases of the greatest artists are exhibited.
- The Palazzo Nuovo is the youngest architectural monument of the ensemble. He reproduces the Palace of Conservatives exactly. Antique sculptures are kept here.
- The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli was built on the spot where the Temple of Juno Coins once stood. Here is a miraculous sculpture of Jesus in infancy.
Cultural wealth
The capitol in Rome is not only the religious, political, but also the cultural center of the ancient city. It houses a number of museums, each of which is worthy of attention.
Within the walls of the Palace of Senators, built in the first century BC, there is a museum-repository of stone slabs, the inscriptions on which tell about Ancient Rome. From them you can find out how life was conducted here and what was the policy of the rulers.
In the Palace of Conservatives there is a museum of marble busts created in ancient Rome. Here you can also see frescoes and visit the Pinacoteca. This gallery displays paintings by such prominent artists as Rubens, Velazquez and Caravaggio. All kinds of artifacts can be found in the Castellani hall, and rich collections of coins and jewelry can be found in the Capitol Museum of Coins.
The Palazzo Nuovo was built in order to become a museum. And so it happened: there are not only Roman sculptures, but also Greek ones.
Excursions
Rome is an eternal city, always open to visitors. Therefore, there are a large number of different excursions. The most popular tourist destination, concurrently - the heart of the city is the Capitol in Rome. How to get to this place? Easy. This can be done both independently and with a group. However, it is important to understand that Rome is a fairly large city, and you can get lost in it by looking at the masterpieces of architecture.
Almost all tourists who visited the eternal city visit the Capitol ensemble. Many museums that are part of it work on the same schedule. For example, you can get to places like the Palazzo Nuovo, the Palace of Conservatives and the Palace of Senators on any day except Monday, from nine in the morning to eight in the evening.
How to get there
There are many ways to get to the Capitol. You can get to the hill by taking the subway line B train. In addition, in Rome there is an extensive system of buses, the routes of which run through highlands. You can also call a taxi and get to the Capitol by car.
Hiking is available to all comers. You can climb the Capitol Hill in Rome by three stairs. The left one leads to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli. The central one was designed by Michelangelo; it is considered the main staircase of the entire ensemble. The right one is quite inconspicuous, as a rule, it is used by the townspeople. Therefore, if tourists want to climb a hill in the shade and not get into the crowd, they can take advantage of it.