Palatine Hill

At a glance

Palatine Hill facts that matter

Names, makers, dates, and context before the story opens up.

Italian name	Palatino
What it is	Archaeological site
Where	Rome, Lazio
Known for	Birthplace of Rome, imperial palaces, Farnese Gardens, views over the Forum

The story

What you're looking at

The Palatine is an archaeological landscape of Rome's earliest urban evidence, aristocratic residences and successive imperial palaces. Iron Age settlements preserve evidence related to the city's earliest core; from the second and first centuries BCE it became a residential district of the Roman elite. Augustus then established his residence here, followed by palace complexes including the Domus Tiberiana, Domus Transitoria, Domus Aurea and Domus Flavia. It lies within the UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Centre of Rome, rather than being separately inscribed.

Verified details

Each statement below is linked to the record or institution that supports it.

The Palatine Hill is an archaeological landscape within the Parco archeologico del Colosseo. It preserves Iron Age settlement remains connected with Rome's earliest urban core.¹

Between the second and first centuries BCE, the Palatine became a residential district of the Roman aristocracy; the House of the Griffins preserves exceptional painted and paved decoration from this phase.¹

Augustus established his residence on the hill, including the House of Livia. Later imperial complexes included the Domus Tiberiana, Domus Transitoria, Domus Aurea and Domus Flavia, whose public and private sectors were connected in part by underground passages.¹

The Neronian Cryptoporticus is one of the best-preserved examples of the decorated underground passages that linked parts of the Palatine's imperial residences.¹

The Palatine lies within the UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura, first inscribed in 1980. It is not separately inscribed.²

Sources and citations (2)

Parco archeologico del ColosseoThe PalatineThe Palatine overviewRead source
UNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le MuraProperty scope and inscription metadataRead source

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