Review of the new Palatine Hill/Forum S.U.P.E.R. ticket

[cruisemom42]

I'll admit it -- I've watched the soaring popularity of the Colosseum for years while shaking my head. While it is certainly an outstanding and iconic sight, it has been strange to me to see how many different types/variations of tours are offered there for what is basically one large single-purpose building with a history that is known to most and not difficult to follow. At the same time, the sights to be seen on the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (the 'sister sites' with the Colosseum) have been largely ignored despite the fact that they would benefit much more from a tour. These sites were built and used over hundreds of years with very different types of buildings -- which today are all jumbled on top of one another and can be very difficult to understand without some background and a good understanding of the various eras of Roman history.

 

That said, there finally seems to be a push to get people to look at something other than the Colosseum. In the past year, the powers-that-be have introduced a new ticket that is valid for the Forum and Palatine Hill sites only (no Colosseum included) -- it is called the SUPER ticket, which stands for "Seven Unique Places to Experience in Rome".  The ticket includes one admission that is good for both the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, as well as special access to a number of unique places therein, which for years have been difficult to access on one's own. These include:

• The House of Augustus (no clear proof that it belonged to him, but circumstantially it is a good candidate), which has beautiful frescoes. A special multi-media presentation helps you understand the decoration.
• The House of Livia (similar to the above but with the addition of well-preserved mosaic floors from the late-Republican/early Imperial period with traditional black and white designs made from tiny tesserae).
• The Domus Transitoria -- This was Nero's first attempt at creating a "palatial" home for himself. It was completed before the Domus Aurea and portions of it were destroyed in the great fire of Rome. However, a small part has remained, fairly hidden, under later buildings on the Palatine. There is a virtual reality experience to help you visualize what it would have looked like 'back in the day'.  NOTE:  Most of the highly visible remains on Palatine Hill today date from the later palaces built by the Flavian emperors (the same guys that brought you the Colosseum; they built in a truly Colossal way....)
• The Aula Isiaca -- Basically these are surviving frescoes from a late Republican-era house on Palatine Hill. Before the emperors, the Palatine Hill was the more desired real estate by powerful senatorial families. These frescoes are of amazing quality and have strong Egyptian elements, which have led to conjecture that they may have come from either the house of Mark Antony or may have been a part of the House of Augustus (see above). 
• The Neronian Cryptoporticus -- how the well-to-do moved from place to place without being seen and in safety (which is debatable as Caligula was stabbed in one of these cryptoportici on his way to or from a show....).
• The Palatine Museum -- this used to be open to all visitors but now can only be entered with the SUPER ticket. Contains sculpture found on Palatine hill, busts of emperors, and some beautiful remains of the superb decorations from the Domus Transitoria (see above).
• There are also two sites down in the Forum that can be entered (normally closed to the public): the Temple of Romulus, and the church of Santa Maria Antiqua.

 

Well, the idea is a great one, for sure. But the authorities who dreamed it up have also made it rather difficult to figure out how exactly it all works, starting with the ticket. (Welcome to Italy.) So let me give a few tips:

 

• Buy your tickets in advance (from Coopculture site), but not more than one month in advance. For some reason, the ticket is only good if used within one month of purchase.
• When you purchase your ticket, you are provided an opportunity to make an advance reservation for the three sites that have some type of 'show' or 'presentation':  The House of Augustus, The House of Livia, and The Domus Transitoria. It is not at all clear from the site that you can make reservations for all three. At first I thought I could only select one. But if you go through the selection process for each one, you can then return and do the next. I highly recommend making these reservations as: 1) there are a limited number of presentations each day in English, and 2) there are a limited number of spaces in each presentation.  I watched several people get turned away from the Domus Transitoria because there was no room left that day.
• The email with your pre-reservations will come separate from your ticket voucher. Bring both with you.
• Choose your day carefully.  Here's where it gets really mind-boggling. All of the seven sites have different hours and different opening/closing times. They are listed on the Coopculture site, but you have to almost make a chart in order to plan your day. The only day when you can visit every included site is Saturday. And even then, some of the sites are open only in the morning.
• This one really drives me crazy: there is currently NO MAP available that lists all of the sites included. At the Palatine Hill ticket entrance, I was sure they would have a map when I showed up with my ticket voucher. No map. When I asked again, somewhat incredulously, I was told to take a photo on my phone of the large display map outside the ticket gate and refer to it. Really?  Just a head's up: not all of the sites included in the SUPER ticket are even listed on the map.  However, I found that the on-site docents (stationed at each site entrance) were more than helpful in pointing me at least in the general direction of the next site. That, coupled with the afore-mentioned map, got me where I needed to go.  Hint: the entrance to the Domus Transitoria is just beside the Palatine Museum. You're welcome. 
• Plan sufficient time to get from place to place. The above-mentioned sites that have presentations take a good half hour to go through. So don't book the House of Augustus at 9:30 am and the House of Livia at 10:00; give yourself a little breathing room to get from one place to another. Although in practice I found that the given start time was a bit on the casual side -- my tour at the House of Livia started 15 minutes late.

 

In my opinion, the sites with the presentations included were the most interesting; I would prioritize them. The Forum sites were the least interesting, although to a Roman history nerd such as myself, the opportunity to get inside these buildings that I had long passed by with their doors firmly shut was definitely a "must not miss".  Start with the Palatine Hill sites and if you still have time and energy, do the Forum ones last.

 

Hopefully some of the kinks involved with the ticket will work themselves out. The ticket sellers at the Palatine entrance do not seem to promote it at all, and over and over yesterday I heard bewildered people asking why they couldn't get access and how to purchase the tickets. Then again, perhaps they don't want too many people to know, as these places, unlike the Colosseum, cannot handle huge crowds. 

 

When I am home I'll try to remember to post some photos. Feel free to ask questions. It was a lovely day despite being windy and mostly gray.

 

P.S.  To the powers-that-be who arrange these things:  Please also include the Curia (Senate building) in the Forum. Seems like ages since I've seen the doors open for tourists.

Edited November 24, 2019 by cruisemom42

[euro cruiser]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

there is currently NO MAP available that lists all of the sites included. At the Palatine Hill ticket entrance, I was sure they would have a map when I showed up with my ticket voucher. No map. When I asked again, somewhat incredulously, I was told to take a photo on my phone of the large display map outside the ticket gate and refer to it,

 

First, thanks for all the great information.  I am so jealous, I'd love to be there.

 

Regarding the map thing, as annoying as it is I'm kind of surprised that more sites aren't doing this to both save money and reduce paper waste and littering.

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by euro cruiser

[Host Bonjour]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Choose your day carefully.  Here's where it gets really mind-boggling. All of the seven sites have different hours and different opening/closing times. They are listed on the Coopculture site, but you have to almost make a chart in order to plan your day. The only day when you can visit every included site is Saturday. And even then, some of the sites are open only in the morning.

 

It's going to take them awhile to get this sorted but then to your thinking, perhaps it's just as well since these attractions cannot handle the same size crowds that Colosseum can handle. Nevertheless, a sprinkling of synchronicity would be most ideal, these are definitely verbs of importance in the Italian lexicon, or way of life. Which is fine 😄 it's viva Italia. Is it chianti-o'clock yet? 🍷

 

Enjoy your time in bella Roma. Post pictures please, if you have them! 

[slidergirl]

Good to know you found another thing to keep you "occupied" in Rome.  Thanks for passing on the info.

 

Chianti-o'clock???  Please.  My watch is set to Brunello time 😉

 

[cruisemom42]

On 11/24/2019 at 9:25 PM, Host Bonjour said:

 

IEnjoy your time in bella Roma. Post pictures please, if you have them! 

 

Oh I will have some to post when I get home. For now I've been just too "on the go" to spend the time. I just got back from an overnight to Ravenna. Two more days in Rome and then I head home. 

[Host Bonjour]

On 11/25/2019 at 1:06 PM, slidergirl said:

Good to know you found another thing to keep you "occupied" in Rome.  Thanks for passing on the info.

 

Chianti-o'clock???  Please.  My watch is set to Brunello time 😉

 

 

I dig where your palate is at, and again, am envious. My local shops don't seem to be aware that there's much beyond chianti (well, a d'Oro isn't awful...) or pinot grigio–one shop has about 20 labels, or a token barolo (nothing to sneeze at, nevertheless....) or a barbera, probably because it's slightly frizzante but not too. I hear brunello and then the floodgates open, I think of tagliatelle, corniglio, and a zillion other things I cannot find here w/o heading to a particular shop. Amarone, dolcetto, varieties from Sicily I can't even remember, and the stuff that comes in mason jars. 😉 I'm hoping I can convince a newer shop owner to get a Chinon. 😳 Sancerre has finally caught on. But no one goes beyond pinot grigio and chianti, generally. What a wonderful world of Italian wine exists. 

 

As an aside, there are times I have just purchased an Italian red table wine because the selection was so uninspiring (it happens) and it was just fine...ok with a simple meal. Not to give or bring...but good enough and easy on the pocket. 

[slidergirl]

Hey, I had my first Brunello in Milan way back in 2004.  I was hooked.  At least I can say I shattered my leg walking through the vineyards in Montalcino (home of Brunello)...

I only buy a Brunello for a special occasion - I can't afford $50-60 all the time.  I'll usually buy a $20 and under bottle of Italian red - Santa Christina Toscano is a good everyday red at usually about $10 a bottle.  I had an Amarone at Roscioli with my dinner.  Wow - it exploded in my mouth!  So good!  

 

Man, now I have to head to the State Liquor Store in town and buy some wine...  Maybe a Brunello to celebrate my new job!!!

[Host Bonjour]

On 12/5/2019 at 1:06 PM, slidergirl said:

I shattered my leg walking through the vineyards in Montalcino (home of Brunello)...

 

If it had to happen....well, it's a better story and maybe a decent place to convalesce, albeit with an adjusted sightseeing schedule. (Sorry to hear about it!) What a way to trip into great wine, though.. 😉 (Makes me realize my clumsy self was lucky to make it through the day traipsing through the hills of Moët Chandon in Epérnay plucking the remaining grapes off the vines to eat. As I write this I'm wondering, it wasn't a tour, how or why were we even there? Nevermind...must have been after I left the tour of Mercier Caves. 🤐) 

 

And congrats on your new job!! That's definitely brunello-worthy, if ever anything was!! 🍷🎉 Since it's the season of sales and promotions, perhaps there's a little discount this time of year on a brunello. I say little because premium wine varieties don't tend to get or require major promotions but you never know. 

 

I felt about the same about Amarone when I first tried it in the early '90s, it was quite a surprise; I was at Taormina in Little Italy out to dinner after work with a friend. Robust, vibrant, rich, great accompaniment to our dinners that evening. It took awhile to find it at all for awhile in some stores (still can) and at reasonably approachable prices, but it has gotten a lot better nowadays.

 

Treat yourself!! And congrats again Slidergirl!! Auguri 🙂 

 

 

 

 

[Hlitner]

Great tips and thanks for posting.  We have not visited some of those sites for more then 20 years (my foggy ole memory seems to recall that much of it was free).  We will be in Rome (for a few days) next Fall and might just explore the Super Ticket.  Our problem is that we would not be there on a Saturday so I will have to take a good look at the schedule.  But since it is Italy perhaps everything will change by next Fall ).

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

On 12/24/2019 at 1:38 AM, Hlitner said:

Great tips and thanks for posting.  We have not visited some of those sites for more then 20 years (my foggy ole memory seems to recall that much of it was free).  We will be in Rome (for a few days) next Fall and might just explore the Super Ticket.  Our problem is that we would not be there on a Saturday so I will have to take a good look at the schedule.  But since it is Italy perhaps everything will change by next Fall ).

 

Hank

 

I hear you about the sites -- some of them were open for free in the past, such as the Antiquarium. Augustus' and Livia's houses were supposedly also open for free, but very limited hours -- and try as I might, I never could find them open, even when I would ask in advance about the open hours. Now the open hours for these places have been regularized (although a bit confusing), which to me is well worth the paltry 7 euro add-on cost of the SUPER ticket.

 

I don't think the Aula Isiaca or the Domus Transitoria have been open in the past; at least only on very special occasions. (The Wikipedia entry says the Domus Transitoria has not been open in 70 years.). 

 

Here's a tip on the Domus Transitoria: the few remaining rooms on Palatine Hill also include a large multi-site latrine. Sometimes they show it to you and sometimes not. If they don't, ask about it (if you want to see it).

 

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I hear you about the sites -- some of them were open for free in the past, such as the Antiquarium. Augustus' and Livia's houses were supposedly also open for free, but very limited hours -- and try as I might, I never could find them open, even when I would ask in advance about the open hours. Now the open hours for these places have been regularized (although a bit confusing), which to me is well worth the paltry 7 euro add-on cost of the SUPER ticket.

 

I don't think the Aula Isiaca or the Domus Transitoria have been open in the past; at least only on very special occasions. (The Wikipedia entry says the Domus Transitoria has not been open in 70 years.). 

 

Here's a tip on the Domus Transitoria: the few remaining rooms on Palatine Hill also include a large multi-site latrine. Sometimes they show it to you and sometimes not. If they don't, ask about it (if you want to see it).

 

Thanks for the tip :).  DW and I love Italy but are not big fans of Rome (we prefer to drive in other parts of the country).  But some of your posts have whetted our appetite to return to Rome for a few days before a cruise we are taking next year.  We do share your love of the Campo dei Fiori/Piazza Navona area :).

 

Hank

[frenchhorn]

We were recently in Rome and purchased the S.U.P.E.R ticket a little less than a month ahead.  We knew that we wanted to visit the houses of Augustus and Livia, and we were able to book those for November 30 without charge back in August, months before buying the SUPER ticket for entry to the Palatine Hill.  We had not been to the Palatine Hill before, wanted to take a brief trip through the Forum, and didn't want to visit the Colosseum again.  The SUPER ticket was perfect for our needs, and we really enjoyed what we saw.  It also gave us entry to the museumon the Palatine Hill.  I regret that we didn't visit the Domus Transitoria.    On Sunday, December 1 we visited the Domus Aurea, which also usually requires a timed reservation and is open only on Saturdays and Sundays.  A few people walked up and purchased tickets for later that day, but we had purchased ours in August to be sure we got in.  It was terrific.    

Thanks, Cruisemom42 for all the information you've shared on CruiseCritic - so much has been helpful!

   

[marazul]

The policy seems to have changed for tickets with a timed entrance.  They are issuing those tickets in 3 month chunks.  The reservations opened yesterday for April-June.  Here is the page that "sort of" explains the procedure. 

https://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=6

 

Warning.  The "Full Experience" tickets that include tours of the underground level along with the SUPER ticket disappear in seconds!  I was on the website the moment it opened and in the couple of minutes is took me to navigate to the time I wanted the availability went from 25 tickets to 1.  I grabbed a different time that had more tickets left.  I checked again a while ago and most of the tickets on that date were completely gone.  I also checked some tour companies and ticket resellers that must have grabbed all those tickets.  They have them on sale for huge markups.

 

As of now, you can visit all the SUPER sites on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Maybe that is just for the summer months ....

[cruisemom42]

On 11/24/2019 at 6:01 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

When I am home I'll try to remember to post some photos. Feel free to ask questions. It was a lovely day despite being windy and mostly gray.

 

 

I finally remembered that I said I'd post photos of some of the sites included in the S.U.P.E.R. ticket. Each of the included sites can be identified by a sign like the one shown in the first photo below.

 

 

 

 

The first few photos below are from the so-called House of Augustus. While it has historically been considered the residence of Augustus (Rome's first emperor) on Palatine Hill, there is not any firm evidence to say it actually belonged to him -- no signet ring found on the floor or signature on the wall...  However, the location is right (next to the Temple of Apollo) and the design elements are from the right era. 

 

The frescoes on the walls are very well preserved for Rome (unlike Pompeii where the volcanic eruption preserved things). 

 

 

 

The House of Augustus also features some special recreations of the paintings in some rooms to give visitors a better idea of how the original room would've looked. The photos below the room as it looks now followed by the "enhanced" version:

 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by cruisemom42

[cruisemom42]

More photos of the S.U.P.E.R. sites:

 

House of Livia:  ancient Roman sources say that Livia and Augustus both maintained residences on Palatine Hill. This particular house is attributed to Livia based on a stamp found on lead piping discovered in excavations of the house, shown below.  The stamp says "Ivliae Avg" (Julia Augusta) which is the new name Livia was given after Augustus died -- because he "adopted" her as his daughter in his will! While it sounds odd, it was one way he could ensure that Livia was honored and retained some power even after his death.

 

 

 

Frescoes in the house are similar to those in the House of Augustus, although the mosaic floors are better preserved here.

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

The Palatine Museum used to be open with regular admission to Palatine Hill but now seems to only be open with the S.U.P.E.R. ticket, perhaps because it is pretty compact. It has a number of finds from Palatine Hill, although many of the more "outstanding" statuary is displayed at other sites and museums in Rome. What I found most interesting were the small samples of frescoes and flooring from Nero's "Domus Transitoria" and "Domus Aurea" in the museum. 

 

Nero was the "bad" Emperor who -- depending on your sources -- either played the cithera (not fiddled) while Rome burned, or was responsible for the fire himself as he wanted space to build himself a truly PALATIAL home. Before that event in AD 64, he remodeled the existing "Palace" built by Tiberius on Palatine Hill.  Later, he incorporated parts of that older building into his "Domus Aurea" which extended across Palatine Hill, including the area where the Colosseum stands and even extended to the area on the other side of the Colosseum. 

 

Parts of the Domus Aurea are open to the public now, but very little of its very rich decoration has survived, unfortunately. Some of the bits in the museum show how rich it was:  frescoes that were encrusted with real gems (as well as glass paste ones), gilded columns, flooring made with different colors of rare marbles in extremely intricate designs -- these were considered far more impressive than mosaics by the ancient Romans. 

 

A few examples below:

 

 

 

 

 

The artistry and craftsmanship is really unparalleled.