Ancient Rome was built on seven hills which still today rise high above different areas of the modern day city.  The Palatine, which rises above the ancient roman Fora is the most notable of these, which showcases an impressive array of deep, surviving ruins.

I, Will Street, have taken a closer look at the complex and diverse histories of these ancient hills.  The seven hills were as follows: the Quirinal, Viminal and Esquiline hills to the north east of the city, the Caelian and Aventine to the south and the Palatine and Capitol at the centre.  

The Capitol was the centre of Ancient Rome, it's name stemming from the word "caput" meaning head.  It was home to the temple of Jupiter Maximus and the Vestal Virgins who were involved in state rituals.

In Roman literature, the historian Livy wrote in the "Ab Urbe Condita", written between 27 and 9 BC, that the Vestal Virgin Tarpeia was thrown off a rocky cliff face down to the forum below after she let in the Sabines who later settled on the hill.  Today the Capitoline is covered by the Piazza del Campidoglio, which was designed by Michelangelo in 1536 to 1546 and which has prevented excavation of the ancient site.

The Palatine hill faces the Capitol across the Imperial fora, which lie excavated and open to public sight today.  The Palatine was occupied by the houses of the great consuls, generals and senators during the Republican period and later was place of the great palaces of the Emperors beginning with Augustus'  palace, built during his principate from 27BC - 14 AD, and including Domitian's mighty palace, built between 81 and 96 AD. Parts of both can be seen in the excavations on top of the hill.

The Aventine was the site of less extravagant and prestigious buildings of Rome including the temples of foreign deities and foreign tribes and according to legend the hill lay outside the city boundaries, the "pomerium", at its foundation.