I decided to tell you about my journey in the company of that Caesar, strolling among the ruins of the Roman Forum. You should know that Julius Caesar served as consul five times, obtained lifelong dictatorship, and was a statesman of extraordinary foresight and political intelligence. He was one of the greatest figures in human history — the man who led Rome to immortal glory and someone we Italians, above all, should be proud of.
Entering the Roman Forum — today a vast expanse of ruins — one might assume its destruction was caused by the barbarian invasions of the 5th century. But that’s not the case: the real devastation occurred during the Middle Ages and especially the Renaissance, when Pope Julius II authorized the use of the Forum’s marble and travertine as if it were an open‑air quarry. Despite protests from artists like Bramante, Michelangelo, and Raphael, nothing stopped the destruction: columns, capitals, architraves, and stones of every kind were dismantled, burned in kilns to produce lime, or reused in new buildings. Only a few elements were saved and incorporated into Roman churches.
Imagine what this place looked like, founded in the 8th century BC at the foot of the Palatine Hill, where Romulus established the Roma quadrata. The Forum reached its peak during the Republican era, under Caesar and later his adopted son Octavian Augustus, and continued to flourish until the 2nd century AD. Over the centuries, numerous restorations were needed due to fires and earthquakes.
The Forum was the beating heart of Rome: the political, judicial, religious, and economic center of the Empire. For at least a thousand years, it was the stage for the most important events in Western civilization. Caesar, always at our side, reminds us: “Did you know that before the construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre (the Colosseum), gladiatorial games were held right here in the Forum’s square? Where today we see grass and stone slabs, wooden stands once rose for spectators to watch the fights.”
The Forum’s final layout was initiated by Caesar and completed by Augustus, with:
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The Basilicas Aemilia and Julia, used for hearings and commerce, with porticoes dedicated to Lucius and Gaius Caesar.
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The new Rostra, platforms for public speeches.
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The Temple of the Divine Julius, dedicated in 29 BC by Augustus after Caesar’s deification, still a site of floral tributes today.
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The arches of Augustus and of Gaius and Lucius Caesar.
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The reconstruction of the Temples of Concord (Tiberius, 10 BC) and Castor and Pollux (7 BC), linked to the sons of Livia Drusilla.
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The Curia Julia, seat of the Senate, commissioned by Caesar and inaugurated by Augustus. Its bronze doors were later moved during the Renaissance to the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
In the following centuries, additional structures were built:
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The Temple of Vespasian, the Arch of Titus, the Horrea Vespasiani, and the Portico of the Consenting Gods.
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The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the Temple of Venus and Roma, commissioned by Hadrian.
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The Arch of Septimius Severus (3rd century), the columns of the Tetrarchy (Diocletian), and the Basilica of Maxentius (4th century).
