Capitoline Hill

My Roman Holiday

Marcus Aurelius

This equestian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius is a recent copy of the ancient work which Michelangelo placed in the square he designed for the Capitoline Hill (Piazza del Campidoglio) in the 16th century. The piazza is enclosed on three sides by the Capitoline Museum (which contains the original of the statue) and the Senatorium (Rome city hall). This is the oldest public museum in the world.

The Palazzo Senatorio, or Rome city hall, is built on the foundation of the ancient Tabularium.

Looking West from Campidoglio

Michelangelo planned to face his Piazza del Campidoglio away from the ancient Forum and towards "modern" Rome. This view is to the west, showing the church domes of Rome. In the distance lies the dome of the Basilica of Saint Peter's in the Vatican. The area in between is known as the Campo Marzio (Campus Martius or "Field of Mars"). This was a marshy area used for military encampments during the Republic, but during the Empire, development occurred. It was again abandoned when Rome shrank from over 1,000,000 population to under 10,000 during the Middle Ages. When the popes returned to Rome from France in 1377 they found the Lateran Palace had burned, and they were forced to relocate to the Vatican. The area between the Vatican and the Lateran began to be redeveloped. This is now the most picturesque area of Rome.