Google does not really know where we can and cannot walk on this one!
Domus Tiberiana is easily seen from the House of the Vestal Virgins or by the Temple of Castor and Pollux. Simply face towards the Capitoline Hill and follow the paths to your left.
The Oratorio dei Quaranta Martiri can be reached from the Horrea Agrippiana and the entrance to Domitian's Imperial Ramp is in the Horrea.
About halfway up Domitian's Imperial Ramp is the Santa Maria Antiqua church.
Once you break light and step into the open on the ramp there is a viewing platform, but you can also step into the Domus Tiberiana area where there are display rooms.
Further up the open-air section of the ramp is the Terrazza Belvedere del Palatino with its splendid views across the Forum.
Domitian's Imperial Ramp
Domitian's Imperial Ramp is a fascinating architectural feature of ancient Rome, built in the second half of the 1st century AD. It served as a grand passage connecting the Roman Forum, the political and administrative heart of the city, to the Imperial Palace on the Palatine Hill. The ramp was designed as a monumental ascent to the emperor’s residence, symbolizing the transition from public governance to imperial authority.
The structure originally consisted of seven climbs and six hairpin bends, rising to a height of 35 meters—equivalent to over ten modern floors. Today, four of these original climbs remain, and visitors can explore them, culminating in a breathtaking view of the Roman Forum. The ramp was partially hidden for centuries by the baroque church of Santa Maria Liberatrice, but excavations led by Giacomo Boni in the early 20th century uncovered its remains and restored its collapsed vaults.
The site has been open to the public since 2015, allowing visitors to walk the ancient path once used by emperors and officials. The ramp also features a restored great hall that was converted into the Oratorio of the Forty Martyrs during the early Middle Ages, adorned with Byzantine frescoes.
References
- Turism Roma: Domitian's Imperial Ramp
- The History Blog: Imperial ramp of Domitian opens to public
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The Domus Tiberiana is one of the earliest imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill in Rome, originally built under Emperor Tiberius and later expanded by successive emperors. It recently reopened to the public after a 50-year closure.
This vast complex once served as the residence of emperors from Tiberius through to the Severan dynasty. It occupies the northwestern slope of the Palatine Hill, overlooking the Roman Forum, and was a key part of the imperial court’s architectural and symbolic landscape.
Initial construction began under Tiberius (r. 14–37 CE), with later additions by Domitian, Hadrian, and Septimius Severus.
The Horrea Agrippiana were monumental Roman warehouses built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in the Augustan period, located near the Forum Romanum. They served as storage and distribution centers, likely for clothing and grain, and were among the earliest horrea in Rome.
These horrea were strategically placed along the Clivus Tuscus, the ancient road connecting the Forum Boarium to the Forum Romanum, making them central to Rome’s commercial and logistical infrastructure.
References
/uni-tuebingen.de www.digitalaugustanrome.org> it.wikipedia.org> Text generated by Microsoft CoPilot
The Oratorio dei Quaranta Martiri translates to the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, a small 8th-century Christian chapel located in the Roman Forum, Rome. It is dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste and features early medieval frescoes commissioned by Pope John VII.
Dedication: To the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Christian soldiers executed in the 4th century for their faith by being forced into a frozen lake in Armenia.
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Domitian’s Imperial Ramp was a monumental, multi-level passageway built in the late 1st century CE to connect the Roman Forum with the imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill. It symbolized imperial authority and exclusivity, and was reopened to the public in 2015 after extensive restoration.
Built under Emperor Domitian (r. 81–96 CE), the ramp provided a private, elevated route for the emperor to move between the political center (Forum) and his residence (Domus Tiberiana). The ramp ascended 35 meters via seven climbs and six hairpin turns, equivalent to a ten-story building. It was covered and fortified, shielding imperial movement from public view and weather—an architectural assertion of separation and control
The ramp was rediscovered in 1900 during excavations led by Giacomo Boni, who also uncovered Santa Maria Antiqua and the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, which had repurposed part of the ramp as a Christian chapel. After decades of conservation, the ramp was reopened in 2015, allowing visitors to walk the same path once reserved for emperors.
References
archeology.dalatcamping.net madainproject.com www.turismoroma.itText generated by Microsoft CoPilot
Santa Maria Antiqua is the oldest Christian monument in the Roman Forum, built in the 5th century and renowned for its extraordinary cycle of early medieval frescoes spanning the 6th to 9th centuries. It served as a key liturgical and symbolic space during the Byzantine Papacy.
Founded: Mid-5th century CE, likely repurposing a Roman administrative building at the base of the Palatine Hill. Function: Served as the monumental Christian entrance to the imperial palaces, reflecting the fusion of imperial and ecclesiastical authority Structure: A basilica with three naves, a semicircular apse, and remnants of a schola cantorum—a choir enclosure typical of early Christian churches.
Located near the Domitian Ramp, Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, and Lacus Juturna, Santa Maria Antiqua was embedded in a dense network of imperial and sacred spaces. Its placement and decoration symbolized the Christianization of imperial Rome, especially during the 7th–8th centuries when Byzantine influence was strong.
Buried by an earthquake in 847 CE, the church remained sealed for over 1,000 years.
References
en.wikipedia.org madainproject.com www.liturgicalartsjournal.comText generated by Microsoft CoPilot
