Rome, Italy - Circus Maximus and Forum Boarium

The tour continues from the Pyramid of Cestius in the last post, past the House of Augustus, Circus Maximus and on to Forum Boarium with its Tritones Fountain.  Add in a little "current local scenery" and this was another interesting section of Rome.

This map will help to orient you as we continue with the tour. (googlemaps).  The last post about the Pyramid ended where the green arrows begin, at the bottom left corner of the map.  #1 is where the photo of #2 House of Augustus is taken.  #3 is Circus Maximus.  #4 is Forum Boarium.

We left the Pyramid of Cestius and drove north towards the center of Rome on Viale della Pyramid Cestia.  The style of home and apartments seemed to be common in the area.  Walls are stuccoed and bricked on the corners and base.

This is another one of my favorite "daily life" scenes to photograph.  Fresh laundry hanging from the balcony.

 The street changed to Viale Aventino and I saw a stand-alone home with a Mediterranean design.

We approached the Palantine Hill, and saw the House of Augustus standing tall on top of the hill.   The bus turned left on Via del Circo Massimo and drove the full length of Circus Maximus.

A close-up of the House of Augustus.

As we drove past the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo), it was nice to see that the large area that was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome is still in use today as a public park for events, concerts, meets.  Gone are the chariots and large stands for seating an enthusiastic crowd, but the competitors still come to this place for tournaments of different types.

A street vendor, selling the daily news, worked the crosswalk as the bus passed through Via della Greca and turned right.

 To the right we saw the Forum Boarium.  This large area, the Forum Boarium, was a cattle forum venalium of Ancient Rome.  I had to look that phrase up, for sure!  Well, a "forum venalium" is a food market in Ancient Rome and these mercantile forums served as extensions of the Roman Forum.

 On the right (south end) stood the Temple of Hercules Victor, aka Hercules the winner. This is the earliest surviving marble building in Rome, built around the later part of the second century BC.  The building has gone through many changes since, becoming a church, renamed as another church, and officially became an "ancient monument" in 1935.

The Tritones Fountain, built in 1715, by the architect Carlo Bizzaccheri, was commissioned by Pope Clement XI during the work of levelling for Piazza Bocca della Verità, which was two meters above the current plan of the church of St. Maria in Cosmedin. Based on the emblem of the pontiff, the fountain has an octagonal basin with eight concave sides, to form an eight-pointed star like the emblem-star of the pope Albani, in the middle, above a group of boulders, adorned with aquatic grasses, in travertine stone as the whole complex of the fountain, rise two mighty tritons, kneeling and tails intertwined. The two tritons, who turn their backs with their arms raised on the shoulders support a cup-shaped open sea-shell, from which comes out the water and on whose board exterior is carved the emblem of the pontiff, three hills with a star. (Source and 3D Model is VERY COOL to view)

 This is the Temple of Portunus (Tempio di Portuno) on the northern end of Forum Boarium.  I found another photo on google maps and the entire building was covered in scaffolding.  This photo, taken in May 2012, shows a large portion of restoration work finished, with just the southern side getting a face lift.

Wow, a short drive and so much to see!