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41°53′36″N 12°28′59″E / 41.89333°N 12.48306°E / 41.89333; 12.48306

The Capitoline Hill (

The hill was earlier known as Mons Saturnius, dedicated to the god Saturn. The word Capitolium first meant the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus later built here, and afterwards it was used for the whole hill (and even other temples of Jupiter on other hills), thus Mons Capitolinus (the adjective noun of Capitolium). Ancient sources refer the name to caput ("head", "summit") and the tale was that, when laying the foundations for the temple, the head of a man was found,^[3] some sources even saying it was the head of some Tolus or Olus. The Capitolium was regarded by the Romans as indestructible, and was adopted as a symbol of eternity.^[4][5]

By the 16th century, Capitolinus had become Capitolino in

Influenced by Roman architecture and Roman republican times, the word Capitolium still lives in the English word capitol.^[6] The Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. is widely assumed to be named after the Capitoline Hill, but the relation is not clear.^[7]

Ancient history

Originally the Capitoline Hill was characterized by a small central valley divided by two wooden rises, the Arx (Citadel) and Capitolium (Temples). Legend states that located in this valley was the Aslyum, instituted by Romulus, one of the mythic founders of Rome, who gathered the inhabitants of nearby populations. Archaeological studies have dated inhabitation on the Hill to the end of the Bronze Age (1200-1000 BC).^[8]

Tarpeian Rock

According to the Roman historian

The

There are several important temples built on Capitoline hill: the temple of Juno Moneta, the temple of Virtus, and the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus. The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus is the most important of the temples. It was built in 509 BC and was nearly as large as the Parthenon. The hill and the temple of Jupiter became the symbols of Rome being Caput Mundi ("Head of the World").^[11] The Temple of Saturn was built at the foot of Capitoline Hill in the western end of the Forum Romanum.

When the

Tabularium

The Tabularium, located underground beneath the piazza and hilltop, occupies a building of the same name built in the 1st century BC to hold Roman records of state. The Tabularium looks out from the rear onto the Roman Forum. The main attraction of the Tabularium, besides the structure itself, is the Temple of Veiovis. During the lengthy period of ancient Rome, the Capitoline Hill was the geographical and ceremonial center. However, by the Renaissance, the former center was an untidy conglomeration of dilapidated buildings and the site of executions of criminals.^[14]

References

Footnotes