Roman Forum

Political, commercial and religious center of ancient Rome, home to several churches

The Roman Forum had many pagan temples converted in churches after the legalization of Christianity and after it was made the official religion of the Roman state. Santa Maria Antiqua can still be visited inside the Parco Foro Romano, and other churches can be visited outside the park for free, such as San Sebastiano al Palatino, Santa Francesca Romana, Sts. Cosmas & Damien, and St. Joseph of the Carpenters. This last church also features the Mammertine Prison where both Sts. Peter and Paul had both been imprisoned at different moments. Some churches were not able to stand the test of time as some were also destroyed when Benito Mussolini commissioned Via dei Fori Imperiali that connects the Colosseum with Piazza Venezia.