The tour will begin at the Aventine Hill, known in the past as Mons Murcius, for the great deal of myrtles that grew there.
At the end of the monarchical age, the Aventine Hill hosted many crucial events for the history of Rome.
In the time between 494 and 449 BC, the plebeian secessions on the Aventine led to the birth of the tribunato della plebe (in english, tribunal of plebs), with the consequent decline of the institution of the decemviri.
In 456 BC, thanks to the approval of Icilia law, the plebeians took possession of the land placed on the Aventine Hill. New private residences were built and a large number of new temples, as the Temple of Juno Regina, the Temple of Vertumnus (which was built from M. Fulvio Flacco) and the Temples of Luna, Iuppiter Liber and Libertas.
With the rise of the imperial period, a new event pushed the plebs to leave the Aventine Hill, migrating to the current Trastevere, close to Emporium: the shift of the Tiber port and the subsequent transmigration of commercial activities.
With the aristocratic age, on the Aventine Hill were built the villas of Vitelli, Pollioni, Trajan, Decius, Adriano and many others.
The hill is also famous for the square that houses the headquarters of the Knights of Malta, designed by Piranesi, famous for the port in which we will find the famous keyhole, from which we will enjoy a breathtaking view of St. Peter’s Dome.
The tour will continue with a walk to the Circus Maximus, undoubtedly the most impressive race track in the world, until we’ll arrive at the Foro Boario.
The Foro Boario, originally a cattle market, played an important role prior to Rome’s traditional date of the foundation, as evidenced by the presence of geometric pottery shards and fragments of Mycenaean times, certifying the Greek presence in Rome.
The Foro Boario hosts another one of Rome’s most famous monuments: the famous Mouth of Truth, probably an old manhole of the sewer system.
According to legend, during the medieval period, crime’s suspects were forced to introduce their hand in the mouth of truth. If they were actually innocent, nothing would have happened. However, if they were been found as guilty..
Before the tour will finish, we could admire from the outside the beautiful Temples of Portunus and the round Temple of Hercules.
