Palatine Hill. A lane known as the Clivus Palatinus, whose worn paving stones were once trod by emperors and their slaves, climbs from the Forum area to a site that historians identify with Rome's earliest settlement. From 1878 to 1889, illustrious archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani excavated a site on the Palatine Hill and found evidence of Romulus's presence, thereby contradicting early critics who deemed Romulus a mythical figure. The story goes that the twins Romulus and Remus were abandoned as infants but were nursed by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber and adopted by a shepherd. Encouraged by the gods to build a city, the twins chose a site in 735 BC, fortifying it with a wall that Lanciani identified by digging on the Palatine Hill. During the building of the city, the brothers quarreled, and in a fit of anger Romulus killed Remus.

In ancient times, despite the location overlooking the Forum with its traffic, congestion, and attendant noise, the Palatine Hill was Rome's most coveted address. More than a few of the 12 Caesars called the Palatine Hill home -- including Caligula, who met his premature end in the Cryptoporticus tunnel, which today still stands (and remains unnerving). The palace of Tiberius was the first to be built here; others followed, most notably the gigantic extravaganza constructed for Emperor Domitian. Views from the ruins of the imperial palaces extend over the Circus Maximus. Today the Palatine is one of the most tranquil places in town, its Renaissance gardens a welcome respite, especially on a hot day. The Palatine Antiquarium holds relics found during excavations on the hill, as well as models of late Bronze Age villages. COST: EUR8, includes Colosseo admission; EUR20, multisight ticket; reservation fee EUR1.50.