Palatine Hill

The mythical birthplace of Rome — where Romulus and Remus were said to have been raised by the wolf — and the address of every emperor from Augustus to Domitian, giving us the word 'palace' itself. The hill rises between the Forum and Circus Maximus, with vast imperial palace ruins (Domus Augustana, House of Livia), the Stadium of Domitian, and the elegant 16th-century Farnese Gardens on top. It's quieter than the Forum below and offers some of Rome's best free panoramas.