Tabularium Archaeological Site
Ancient Roman archive building overlooking the Roman Forum
Ancient Roman state archives on the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Forum; the surviving substructure houses the Capitoline Museums and offers views into the Roman Forum's ruins.
Tabularium at a Glance#
Address: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Website: https://museicapitolini.org
Hours: Musei Capitolini: Tue-Sun 9:30am-7:30pm, closed Mondays
Admission: Included with Capitoline Museums ticket - approx. €15 (adult)
About Tabularium#
The Tabularium is the ancient Roman office and archive situated in the substructure of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, built in the late Republican period. Its surviving vaulted halls and arcaded facade form a monumental retaining structure overlooking the Roman Forum.
Architectural highlights include the long vaulted gallery and a row of arches on the facade that open toward the Forum, offering direct views onto major forum monuments. The structure is now part of the Capitoline Museums complex and is read as both an administrative building and a display space.
The Tabularium was constructed in the 1st century BCE to house official records and public documents; over time it became integrated into later municipal and museum uses. Large portions of its stone-faced substructure survive and have been restored and displayed as part of the Capitoline Museum program.
It sits on the Capitoline Hill, immediately above the Roman Forum in central Rome, and is accessed from the Capitoline Museum piazza and stairways that connect the hill to the Forum below.
- Viewpoint: Located on the Capitoline Hill, the structure provides one of the clearest elevated viewpoints over the Roman Forum from the south-west side.
What to See#
- Vaulted gallery: A long vaulted gallery forming the internal core of the structure, originally housing the official records and archives of the Roman state and now incorporated into the Capitoline Museums.
- Forum viewpoint: Exterior-facing arches and a stone facade that look out over the Roman Forum; the site provides elevated views across the forum and surrounding monuments.
How to Get to Tabularium#
The Tabularium is accessed through the Capitoline Museums on Piazza del Campidoglio, a short walk from the Roman Forum and Colosseum. From the Colosseum it’s a 10-15 minute walk up via Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Capitoline Hill. Metro: Colosseo (Line B) then walk north-west along the forum.
Tips for Visiting Tabularium#
- Enter the Tabularium viewpoint from the Capitoline Museums for the best panorama of the Forum framed by ancient brickwork.
- Buy a combined ticket for the Capitoline Museums and Roman Forum to save time and money.
- Bring a wide-angle lens: the view from the Tabularium balcony is cinematic and compresses layers of Rome into one frame.
Best Time to Visit Tabularium#
Visit the Tabularium as part of the Capitoline Museums on a weekday morning in spring or autumn to avoid the busiest hours and enjoy the Forum view with fewer people.
Weather & Climate near Tabularium#
Tabularium's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Mediterranean - Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate with warm summers (peaking in August) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 4°C to 30°C. Moderate rainfall (705 mm/year).
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Acceptable | 4° - 12° | 7° | 73 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.4h |
| February | Good | 4° - 13° | 8° | 67 mm | partly cloudy | 79% | 2.1 m/s | 0.4 low | 10.5h |
| March | Very Good | 6° - 16° | 11° | 58 mm | partly cloudy | 76% | 2.4 m/s | 0.7 moderate | 11.8h |
| April | Very Good | 8° - 18° | 13° | 57 mm | partly cloudy | 72% | 2.5 m/s | 1.2 high | 13.2h |
| May | Excellent | 12° - 23° | 18° | 41 mm | some cloud | 68% | 2.1 m/s | 1.7 very high | 14.4h |
| June | Ideal | 16° - 27° | 22° | 30 mm | mostly sunny | 62% | 2.2 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 15.0h |
| July | Ideal | 19° - 30° | 25° | 15 mm | clear | 55% | 2.3 m/s | 2.2 extreme | 14.7h |
| August | Ideal | 19° - 30° | 25° | 33 mm | clear | 55% | 2.2 m/s | 1.8 very high | 13.7h |
| September | Excellent | 16° - 27° | 21° | 64 mm | mostly sunny | 64% | 2.0 m/s | 1.2 high | 12.3h |
| October | Very Good | 12° - 22° | 17° | 88 mm | some cloud | 73% | 1.8 m/s | 0.7 moderate | 11.0h |
| November | Good | 8° - 16° | 12° | 96 mm | partly cloudy | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 0.3 low | 9.7h |
| December | Acceptable | 5° - 13° | 8° | 83 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 2.1 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.1h |
