The Forum was not only a commercial and governmental center for the ancient Romans; it was a religious space that contained several of their most sacred places, such as the tomb of Romulus and the temples of Saturn and Vesta. Later, several temples of divinized Roman rulers, beginning with that of Julius Caesar, were incorporated into it, making it a focal point of the pagan cult most problematic for the early Christians, emperor worship. Still later, the construction of numerous churches in and around the Forum transformed it into a center of Christian worship.
Our Roma Sacra itinerary focuses on Roman Forum and area surrounding it, and looks at how and why this transformation took place, examining several sites that illustrate the similarities and important differences between the pagan and Christian presences in the heart of ancient Rome.