7 Giugno, 2011: Forum and Palatine Hill

Today was a reprieve from structured tours. We (myself and eight other students) visited the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill open-air museum. There were many pictures to be taken of the ancient remains of government buildings and residences, but there were two items that stood out to me. The first is the abundant natural splendor of the area; the flora was beautiful, and I found myself awed by it almost as much as by the ruins. I've never been very knowledgeable about flora, and I found myself wondering about the names of the various species dotting the hillside. The brightly colored wild flowers tremendously enhanced the aesthetic impact of the already awe-inspiring crumbling brick structures.

The second thing that sparked my interest was a small, dark grotto off the main path and largely neglected by the throngs of visitors.

I climbed a short flight of steps to peer into the darkness, and was rewarded by a small waterfall coming out of the rock and flanked on either side by a statue of a faceless man (his face was damaged by time, not intentionally left blank). I regret my ignorance of this place, as it felt hallowed the moment I laid eyes upon it, and I would love to know its significance. I glanced around for an inscription or a sign of some kind, but had no luck locating one. Unfortunately, I didn't get much time to contemplate its secrets, as before long, a sizable group of French-speaking tourists crowded around me, vying for a view of the shrine (I'm assuming that this is its function), and I was forced to concede my vantage point. An internet search of the Forum and Palatine Hill yielded no results (my search was far from exhaustive, and I'm sure information on this place is out there somewhere). I've yet to find images that resemble these, or a description of anything that sounds like it. I welcome any information about this place (or I may just have to go back to it at a later date, time permitting).

A closer look at the statue on the right: