The Forum Romanum (Roman Forum) became an important part of the city during the Roman Republic. Without a uniform urban plan, the Forum had a rather disorderly character. Most of the buildings of that era had a timber frame with brick facing. As such, they could be easily destroyed by fire. In the 2nd century BC development intensified. At that time, four basilicas, large public buildings with various functions were built. During the rule of Julius Caesar and Augustus, the Roman Forum became a religious center, many sacral buildings were erected here. It was also the place of ritual celebrations of victories known as the Roman triumph.
The real decline began when Christianity became the official religion of Rome during the reign of Emperor Constantine. In the 4th century AD temples were closed. Most of them were dismantled over time. On the ruins of the destroyed Forum and the nearby Palatine Hill, new residential buildings and Christian churches were built.
Ancient Roman buildings suffered most during the Italian Renaissance, when Pope Paul III made extensive use of them as building material for the new Saint Peter's Basilica. Forum was a convenient source of raw material, stone and marble. It was not until 1898 that archaeological work began. Many centuries of deliberate destruction of the Forum, mainly due to the decisions of popes ruling the city of Rome, meant that today we have little left to admire from the former splendor of the capital of the great Roman empire.
