Flavian Palace Archaeological Site

Address: Palatine Hill, Rome, Lazio, Italy (entrances near the Roman Forum/Colosseum)

Website: http://www.parcocolosseo.it/

Hours: Palatine Hill archaeological park hours vary seasonally (typically 8:30am-7pm); check Parco Archeologico del Colosseo for current times

Admission: Entry to the Palatine complex area in central Rome is free to view from public spaces; guided archaeological tours vary in price

The Flavian Palace is an imperial palace complex on the Palatine Hill in Rome, constructed in the late 1st century AD under the Flavian emperors and notable as a major seat of imperial power. It forms a large archaeological component of the Palatine that illustrates Roman imperial architecture from the Flavian period.

Remains include foundations, fragments of decorated floors and the layouts of major sections such as public reception areas and private apartments. Visitors see the outlines of the Domus Flavia (the public wing), the Domus Augustana (private residential wing) and the large audience hall known as the Aula Regia within the palace footprint.

Built under Emperor Domitian around the 80s and 90s AD, the complex replaced earlier imperial houses on the Palatine and served as an official imperial residence and administrative centre in the 1st and 2nd centuries. It underwent later modifications in subsequent imperial periods before falling into disuse and partial ruin in the later Roman and medieval eras.

The palace occupies the Palatine Hill overlooking the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus in central Rome, Lazio, adjacent to other major ancient monuments and within walking distance of the Colosseum.

• Palatine context: Part of the Palatine Hill archaeological area and usually visited together with the Roman Forum and Colosseum archaeological sites.
• Date and patron: Constructed during the Flavian dynasty in the late 1st century AD, principally under Emperor Domitian.

What to See#

• Domus Flavia: The public wing of the palace containing reception rooms, official audience halls and ceremonial spaces constructed under Domitian in the late 1st century AD.
• Domus Augustana: The private residential sector built adjacent to the public wing, used as imperial apartments and private gardens from the same Flavian phase.
• Aula Regia: A large audience hall used for imperial ceremonies and receptions that formed one of the complex’s principal interiors during the 1st century AD.

The Flavian Palace is on the Palatine Hill adjacent to the Colosseum. From the Colosseo metro station (Line B), the Palatine entrances are a short walk; enter via the Roman Forum/Colosseum archaeological park ticketing points.

• View the Flavian Palace ruins from the Palatine Hill archaeological area and the Roman Forum to understand the palace's relationship to imperial Rome.
• Hire a licensed archaeologist guide for in-depth access and to interpret the complex stratigraphy-surface ruins are deceptively sparse.
• Combine a visit with sunset on the Palatine terraces for dramatic light and fewer crowds.