ROMAN FORUM, Arch Of Titus And Basilica Of Maxentius

You'll likely have heard the Roman Forum's monuments praised for their great practicality that's owed to careful attention to construction techniques, the use and combination of materials, practicability, and hydraulic works.

The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, whose façade is turned towards the Imperial Fora, includes an ancient library and the remains of the so-called Temple of Romulus, which was more likely dedicated to Jupiter. From what remains of the circular building, you can still see the portal with the bronze door made in the early 300s and including a lock.

Right next to it, you've probably already noticed the remains of one of the largest and most important buildings of ancient Rome: the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. Work on it was begun by Emperor Maxentius in 306 and finished six years later under Constantine; it was marked by eight colossal pillars alongside columns that no longer stand today. Thirty five meters up, a large part of the square-paneled vault remains, called "cassettoni" in Italian; you've probably already seen them in the dome of the Pantheon.

The Basilica of Maxentius was one of the preferred models for Renaissance architecture, especially for Bramante....