Enter the Roman Forum & Palatine plus 7 new sites in Rome
As I shuffled around the Palatine Hill this past weekend, a new option for visitors to Rome as of April 21, 2018, I bumped into a young couple visiting from India who wanted to see inside the Temple of Romulus, (site 6) as I had just done. The young docent at the entrance politely told them they would have to buy a SUPER ticket to get inside, and as she explained the price structure and what was included, they asked if they could exchange their Palatine/Colosseum tickets. The Forum-Palatine SUPER offers more for a better price. Luckily they could! So for anyone that has a a Colosseum/ RomanForum/ Palatine ticket, you’ll be able to purchase your SUPER ticket for an extra €6!
Soon after, at the entrance to the Criptoportico Neroniano, (site 1) a long underground corridor with music and projections of art from the other SUPER sights, the next docent expressed great relief that I had the SUPER. “Thank goodness you have the right ticket!” It was only 10am, but she had already turned away many tourists who wanted entry, and she was tired of arguing and explaining.
Allora, what is this new Forum-Palatine SUPER ticket causing excitement and vexation on the Palatine Hill, and is it the right choice for you? SUPER stands for Seven Unique Places to Experience in Rome. For 16 euros, (13.50 for EU citizens between 18 and 25 years old), the SUPER ticket includes an entrance to the Roman Forum – Palatine, where seven historical sites can be accessed. The seven sites are the Criptoportico Neroniano, Museo Palatino, Aula Isiaca – Loggia Mattei, House of Augustus, House of Livia, Temple of Romulus and Santa Maria Antiqua. The ticket has to be used within one day.
The SUPER ticket makes seven sites newly accessible to the public. Antiquity fans, pay attention! Santa Maria Antiqua and the Temple of Romulus used to be open only with guided tours or for temporary exhibitions; the houses of Augustus and Livia are newly reopened; and Loggia Mattei and Isiaca Hall are open for the first time. And from April 2019, you will also be able to visit the Domus Transitoria.
In all sights, special attention has been given to multi-media curation, projections that retrace outlines of frescoes, fill in colors, atmospheric music, and the kind of narrative commentary that is immediately engaging, and doesn’t count on the visitor being an ‘expert’ already. This alone sets the experience apart from other tours.
Enter the cool rotunda of Santa Maria Antiqua, (site 7) and you are surrounded by monastic chants. In one corner of the temple, dedicated to medical saints, the light show highlights the surgical instruments they carried. Imagine a sick person who lived between the 6th and 9th centuries lying in this room, praying to the saints, the exhibit suggests. This kind of narrative tells the visitor not only what to focus on, but also how their ancient ancestors would have regarded the place. The fresco of Christian martyrs with their lower legs turning blue in cold water is still visible enough to communicate its dramatic story, even without a video projector.
In the subterranean den of what was once the reception room for The House of Augustus, (site 3), a projector paints the floor with light, showing what the mosaic tiling looked like at various points in time. The worn-away flooring becomes smooth and flat. For the somewhat weary tourist, the moving projections, dark rooms, and soothing music also has a restorative quality. Further down the corridor, the projector repaints a fresco of two-story home in perspective, highlighting the foreground and background.
The SUPER ticket has been offered for a year now, and there are a few kinks still to be ironed out. The most pressing is the tour schedule for the House of Augustus and the House of Livia. Visitors are only allowed inside on a tour; the timings of the tour are not online; some of the tours are private; not all are in English. In other words, your chances of arriving at the right time for a tour in your language are low. Both days that I visited, the only place where I could find tour times were on hand-written slips of paper in the pockets of the docents.
Not every site is open every day. The House of Augustus, House of Livia and Aula Isiaca are open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Sunday morning until 2 pm, while the Temple of Romulus, Santa Maria Antiqua are open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and Sunday afternoon after 2 pm. The reason for this is preservation – to limit their exposure, but the schedule requires an attention to detail that not every tourist is going to master.
Navigation is a challenge. When you buy the ticket, you are given a map with the sites highlighted, but once you’re inside, the only signs that indicate you’re in the right place are the ones at your destination. Looking for the House of Livia? You’ll see the sign once you are already there. Luckily, google maps knows where some of the sites are.
Finally, the ticket requires a certain level of physical endurance. Once you’re inside the Forum Palatine area, there are scarce snacks, bathrooms, or shady places to sit. A few vending machines sell coffee, soda, water, and snacks like chips or candy, and there are also a few fountains to refill a water bottle. But otherwise, the SUPER ticket only allows for two entrances into the Palatine complex. So pack some snacks, wear comfortable shoes, and stretch out those hamstrings before you set off. An early start helps to beat both crowds and the blazing Roman sunshine. Gates open at 9 am.
Address:
Parco archeologico del Colosseo
Opening times:
From 1st to 26th March 2022: every day, Monday to Sunday, 9.00 am – 5.30 pm
27th March to 31st August 2022: every day, Monday to Sunday, 9.00 am – 7.15 pm
From 1st to 30th September 2022: 9.00 am – 7.15 pm
From 1st to 30th October 2022: 9.00 am -6.30 pm
From 31st October 2022 to 28th February 2023: 9.00 am -4.30 pm
can you tell me where to purchase the plus 7 tickets?
It appears that you cannot purchase SUPER tickets after February 15th using the link you posted. Do you know how one can purchase the SUPER tickets after that date?
Hi! We just updated the link. Thank you
I went to the link posted and it appears that the SUPER ticket cannot be purchased for dates after February 15, 2019. Do you know how tickets can be purchased after that date?
I purchased a SUPER ticket online, but the ticket doesn’t say anything about admission to the Colosseum. Now I’m worried they’ve removed the Colosseum entrance from the ticket. To be safe, should I purchase another ticket that actually says “Colosseum” on it?
The Super ticket includes the Colosseum entrance!
The Colosseum is most definitely not included in the 16€ cost of the Super Ticket. I purchased mine today at the Fora Romano. Also note some locations, including the House of Livia and House of Augustus are only accessed as part of a tour. Check with staff for languages and tour times at the gate you enter on the day of your entry.
If I bought the super ticket but wanted Colosseum entry which I guess is not not included. can I exchange it for the regular entry to Colosseum palatine and forum