Historic Site · Rome, Italy
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano), also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of the city of Rome. Built c. 801 BC.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Rome, Italy |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 801 BC |
| Coordinates | 41.8922° N, 12.4852° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Roman Forum is known for
The Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano), also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of the city of Rome.
About Roman Forum
The Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano), also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. For centuries, the Forum was the centre of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial and legal affairs.
History
Pottery deposits discovered in the Forum, Palatine and Capitoline demonstrated that humans occupied these areas in the Final Bronze Age (1200–975 BC). In the early Iron Age an area of the future Forum, close to the site of Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, was used as a cemetery (10th century BC), possibly by the communities based on the Palatine and Capitoline hills. Most of the burials were cremations of the same type which is also found in the other sites in Latium.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Roman Forum website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Rome |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Ciampino Airport (CIA) |
| Distance from the airport | 8.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) · Rome, Italy · 8.6 miles away
- Rome–Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO) · Rome, Italy · 13.4 miles away
- Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport (PEG) · Perugia (PG), Italy · 83.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Italy
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Roman Forum?
The Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano), also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of the city of Rome.
Where is Roman Forum located?
Roman Forum is in Rome, Italy. Its coordinates are 41.8922° N, 12.4852° E.
How do I get to Roman Forum?
The nearest town is Rome, and the nearest airport is Ciampino Airport (CIA), about 8.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Roman Forum built?
Roman Forum was built c. 801 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180212 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://parcocolosseo.it/area/foro-romano/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.