The Ancient Temples of Bagan, Hofburg Palace, the Roman Forum | Wonders of the World

Located in Mexico, Ruta Puig is in a very fertile region in the vicinity of Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula. It contains several Mayan sites built between the 8th and 10th centuries AD, connected by paved pathways that traverse the forest. This complex brings together the cities of Labna, Sahil and Caba, all of which have a wealth of ruins. The city of Caba, or Strong Hand, covers three square kilometres and contains several palaces, stone buildings and stepped pyramids. The Great Palace, which you reach by a large staircase, is an imposing and monumental structure made up of a group of buildings that are all on the same platform. This immense three-level building, also called the Palace of Miyama Kab, the God of the Rising Sun, contains around a hundred rooms. Its layout is simple and not very elaborate, which corresponds to the early Puig style, with a frieze that is made out of groups of three small columns. The monotony of the ensemble is broken by the addition of two openings that have a central column with a cube-shaped capital. It's one of the most well-preserved monuments in Caba and was the residence of its rulers. On its right, structure 2C6, better known as the Cod's Puig, is the most imposing structure in Caba. Also called the Palace of the Masks, this 46-metre-long building, built on a three-metre-high platform, is a typical example of the late Puig style. The unique thing about this palace is its façade, that is entirely decorated with an uninterrupted succession of stone masks with long noses, shaped like hooks, which represent the god Shaak. These masks of the rain god appear abundantly on the other buildings throughout the site. Their presence can certainly be explained by the rarity of rain in this very dry region that has no river. The Mayans who lived here thus depended on rain alone, so the god of rain was very important and revered. The palace is composed of ten rooms arranged in five rows of two, and the numerous very elaborate vestiges have been indexed in order to better understand the mystical meaning of this site. Each of these three interconnected territories actually correspond to a Mayan city, vassal to the neighbouring Uxmal, which at that time was the administrative centre of the surrounding territory. The second site, Labna, or the Old House in Ruins, bears its name well. It's a Mayan ceremonial centre in ruins. Like the rest of the structures in the Puig region, the site dates from the Terminal Classic period, and a date corresponding to 862 was even found inscribed in the palace. Shaped like an L, it stands on a terrace and is composed of 67 rooms spread across two levels, the whole thing forming a structure that is 120 metres long. The first level has 40 rooms, and a façade decorated with the traditional masks of the god Shaak. The building went through at least 12 phases of construction, and while some sections served residential purposes, others were used for administration, and it seems that all these separate buildings were later brought together. The archaeological site of Labna is also known for its arch, a Mayan construction that is 6 metres high and 13 metres wide, with magnificently carved stone. Its façade is decorated with frescoes and sculptures that represent a stylized serpent and masks of Shaak. It's possible that this arch was used as a passageway for a high-ranking family to move between a residential area and one that was more administrative. It separates two small one-room buildings with doors that are topped by small miniature huts, where there are still some remnants of painting. On the other side of the arch stands El Mirador, a pyramidal structure with a temple on the top. Virtually all that's left of the original pyramid is a pile of stones. The three-room temple with its five-metre high crest has survived, and now resembles a watchtower. Dating from the late classical era, it's one of the oldest buildings in Labna. Originally, the crest was ornamented with colossal figures, which have now been broken or lost. After the visit, you can take the ancient path that goes through the forest to reach the third site of Ruta Puc, Sayil. Sayil also reached its high point at the end of the classic period, around the year 900, and it was home to around 17,000 inhabitants. Built in a fertile valley, Sayil was certainly the main agricultural centre of the Uxmal region. One of the most representative buildings of the Puc style is the main palace, which is composed of three levels with multiple rooms. Both the interior and exterior of the palace are decorated with frescoes and masks, bearing the image of Sharg, and there are also depictions of the celestial serpent. The palace of Sayil has a long central staircase, which connects to at every level and leads to the summit of the building, which is classically topped with a temple. From the steps of the great palace, one can see the remains of important buildings, including a stadium and several small palaces. The foundations of thousands of small houses can also be seen. The site also contains a mirador temple, whose crest was once painted red. Very damaged, it was a pyramidal temple, but there's not much left of it, just a building with two half-collapsed rooms. Not far from the temple, a stele representing a figure with an enormous phallus could be a god of fertility. Ruta Puc clearly shows the interconnection and specialisation of the different Mayan sites at the end of the first millennium the entrance to the Hofburg, which was the winter residence of the Habsburg dynasty and the centre of imperial power for six centuries. And since the 20th century, it has been the residence of the President of the Austrian Republic. Its characteristic dome overlooks the gateway to the palace. St Michael's Gate is the main entrance to the palace and today is a symbol of imperial Vienna. Built at the end of the 19th century, its facade was treated like a Baroque triumphal arch. It's decorated with allegorical fountains. One with a young girl perched on the prow of a ship, symbolising the naval power of Austria as it took down its adversaries. The second fountain, with a victorious man and an eagle with its wings spread, symbolises the power of the empire over the continent. The four sculptural groups of the central section retrace the legend of Hercules. They were carved from marble blocks weighing 25 tonnes each. You then have to go through the three-doored entrance to enter the Hofburg, which was built up over the centuries around its original core and explains the juxtapositions of the very different styles. In the centre of the first interior courtyard, which was used for tournaments, there stands a statue of Emperor Francis, who was at war with the French Emperor Napoleon I for a long time. At its base are the four imperial virtues, religion, peace, justice and force. At the back of the courtyard, the 16th century wing is ornamented with an onion dome and a sundial. To the right, the magnificent chancellery wing was built in the 18th century in the Baroque style. It contained the apartments of Emperor Francis Joseph and Emperor Sissi in the 19th century. And the imperial virtues are featured here as well. In this interior courtyard, the Hofburg cafe lets you relax between two visits, seated on its sunny terrace. Left of St Michael's Gate, there is the Swiss Gate, named after the guards who protected it. It leads to the oldest section of the Hofburg, which contains the palace chapel, as well as the Habsburg treasury, which has now been turned into a museum. It houses what is probably the most beautiful treasure of the whole world, the imperial Austrian crown, crafted for Rudolf II in 1602. Other treasures, such as the Holy Grail, the Golden Fleece or the crown of the Holy Roman Germanic Empire, have a priceless value. It's been a while now since Sissi, the seductive empress, became an icon. From the innocence of her youth to her murder, her private life was in the spotlight. From her rebellion against the court ceremonial, her cult for beauty, her obsession with being thin or her sporting performances, the museum tells the whole story about the legendary empress and her hectic life. Another square in the Hofburg, the Josefplatz, is centered around an equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II, who reigned during the second half of the 18th century. The statue parades in front of the former imperial library, which dates from the 17th century and has now become the National Library. Its roof is decorated with the triumphal quadriga and with globes supported by Gaia and Atlas on either side. The Austrian National Library is the largest library in the country, with nearly 12 million books and other collected objects. Manuscripts, incunabula, autographed music manuscripts, photographs, maps, globes and other wonders make it an exciting visit for those who love old writings. Its impressive ceremonial hall is almost 80 meters long and 20 meters high. More than 200,000 volumes are held here. It is overlooked by a sumptuously decorated cupola with frescoes that were made by the court painter Daniel Grahn in 1730. On the side of the square there is the former castle gate, which was part of the fortifications surrounding the old city. All the fortifications were demolished by the French emperor Napoleon I and only the palace gate was rebuilt in the 19th century. It is a gate with five arches in the purest classical Roman style. The Neuerberg is the most recent part of the palace. It was built between 1881 and 1913 under the reign of Francis Joseph in the Italian neo-renaissance style. A statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy, Austria's ally, stands before the concave interior facade. The new section had been built to renew the aging existing palace, but World War I put an end to this project and since then it has been transformed into several museums. Pagan, formerly called Pagan, is a vast Buddhist archaeological site that is nearly 15 kilometers squared. The site is located in an earthquake zone and it has suffered many earthquakes that caused serious damage. 2,834 constructions are numbered on the site, many of which are in ruin. Hitelo Minlo temple was built between 1211 and 1218 by the eponymous king who had the replica of the Indian temple built, which depicted the Buddha's meditation and enlightenment. It is 46 meters high with two brick stories covered in very elaborate stucco. Damaged by the earthquake of July the 8th, 1975, it has since been restored. Its facade is decorated with sandstone tiles glazed in green and yellow which reflect the sunlight. This technique was rare at the time, for very high temperatures are required to vitrify glaze. The adjustment of the bricks and the design of the era required the mastery of architectural techniques. Original paintings, ink inscriptions and the horoscopes of certain figures adorn the ceilings of the vaulted corridors devoted to circumambulation. Inside, four Buddhas stand against the central pillar, facing traditionally enough the four cardinal points. On the upper floor sit four other statues. Having been well restored, it is one of the most visited temples in Bagan. The Payathon Zoo, literally the group of the three Buddhas, is a special temple. Indeed, it is made up of three temples linked together by two narrow passages. Built approximately around 1200 AD, this temple was never completed, for the exterior stucco, which is lacking today, perhaps never existed. Furthermore, the sikharas, the sanctuary towers, were added in recent times. The temples have the same shape, with a square design and a projecting portico on one side. Inside, the walls, the pilasters and the vaulted ceilings of the East Temple and a part of the Central Temple are covered in paintings. Those of the West Temple are entirely unadorned. The paintings include floral motifs in which we can see mythical monsters, animals, birds and intertwined human forms. There are also life scenes of the 28 Buddhas of the past and life scenes of the final Gautama Buddha. The incompletion and the architecture of this triple temple remains a mystery. Mahabodhi Temple is a smaller scale reproduction of an existing temple in India. The design plans of the monument were brought to Bagan by a monk in the 12th century. King Hitilomilo decided to create a replica in brick stucco in 1218. Restored after the earthquake of 1975, it contains a magnificent golden statue of the Buddha in the earth witness position. Beyond its pyramidal tower atop a square base, the temple is nearly unique among the temples of Bagan for its vast and ornate exterior decorations. Its numerous niches contain over 450 images of the Buddha, not only on the tower but also on the outside walls of its base. Besides the pagoda, the symbols of the Buddha's seven sites of meditation are displayed within the perimeter of the temple, as is done in India. While sitting under a tree, he put an end to his aesthetic lifestyle, considering it vain. He then accepted to eat in order to better meditate. Located on a hill overlooking the banks of the Irrawaddy, the Bhupaya or the Gourd Pagoda is one of the most famous Burmese stupas. It attracts a lot of visitors. Small in size, it was built in the 3rd century A.D., though its style seems to indicate it was built around the year 1000. In any case, it is one of the site's oldest monuments. Beside it, a small temple was built for worshippers. Further away, Mingyalese Di Pagoda is the most recent of all the Buddhist monuments in Bagan. It was completed in 1284, three years before the kingdom fell to the Mongols. It is a brick stupa resting on three square terraces. The stupa itself is in the shape of a bell, topped by a cone decked with precious stones. The little stupas standing at the four corners are decorated with bricks glazed in green and yellow. Combined with the original brick coloring, it gives the stupas a beautiful tint. Beautiful plaques of terracotta representing the Jataka, the tales which narrate the former lives of the Buddha, are found on the three terraces. Within the temple's surroundings, there were numerous monasteries which have since fallen into ruin. The Pattatamya temple is located in the southern part of the city, on an axis that links it with the preceding temple, and which ends at the Ananda. No inscription allows it to be precisely dated, but it was likely built in the second half of the 11th century. The sanctuary contains a brick statue of great dimensions, coated and painted. This temple contains one of the most accomplished painted works of Bagan. Though some of the paintings have become blackened or detached from the walls at certain areas, they are impressive by the richness of the colors used and by the balance of the compositions. This ensemble illustrates the episodes of the Buddha's life. To decipher it, you must walk around the corridors twice. Two smaller statues represent the same event as the bigger statue, namely enlightenment, with the Buddha touching the earth with his right hand. The inside of this temple truly exhibits a great sense of mysticism. In the estuary of Rio de la Plata, opposite Argentina, lies Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest city of Uruguay. The city is accessed through the old gate of the fortified city, founded by the Portuguese in 1680. But the city changed hands between Portugal and Spain, through the many treaties signed by the two countries in 1750 and 1777. It was reconquered by Portugal once again and later by the Brazilians. The city finally acquired its independence following Uruguay's in 1825. The particular character of Colonial del Sacramento lies in its urban landscape. A mix of big avenues and narrow streets, organized around the Great Plaza. The historical district is predominantly marked by single-story houses. Only the silhouettes of the lighthouse and the church tower stand out. Giving out onto the Great Plaza, the street of sighs is without a doubt the city's most emblematic street. We do not know if the sighs originated from the convicts, sentenced to death, who passed here, or if they were those of a solitary man looking for a prostitute. Whatever the case may be, this is the oldest street of Colonia. Located on the side of the plaza, the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, considered the oldest church of Uruguay, though it was rebuilt many times. Originally made of straw, mud and wood, it was made of stone and mortared only in 1699. 100 years later, it exploded due to a stock of ammunition that had been forgotten in its cellars. It was then rebuilt into the church that we see today. The single-nave interior ends in a very sober altar. On the marketplace, ruins draw the eye. They are the remains of what was previously the governor's house, destroyed by the Spanish in the late 18th century. It was, at the time, the most ostentatious house of Colonial del Sacramento. A very clear difference can be seen between the districts built by the Spanish architects, whose streets are all orthogonal and lined with beautiful houses, and the historical Portuguese districts, whose paved roads are disorganized and lined with low houses. After its independence in the early 19th century, the city's strategic role, due to the rivalry between Spain and Portugal, disappeared. Colonia del Sacramento thus fell into ruin and oblivion, the last place where one would choose to live. It is only 150 years later, in 1968, that the Uruguayan government decided to redevelop the city, due to the touristic potential of the site's history. In this way, the ruins of the Convent of San Francisco, the oldest ruins of Uruguay, were consolidated in the historic district. The convent was rebuilt in the 1690s, but was entirely burnt to the ground 10 years later and was never rebuilt. Nonetheless, architectural details remain, and they are not without charm. The city's lighthouse was built within this chapel. Today, around the city's many plazas, there are many restaurants that make for a pleasant place to enjoy a drink or some international cuisine. Among the restorations undertaken beyond the walls, beautiful colonial houses were transformed into museums, like here, the Spanish Museum. And a few streets away is the Portuguese Museum, located in an 18th century house. Colonia de Sacramento contains no less than eight museums. The Spanish viceroy of Rio de la Plata lived in this house in 1804, just prior to Uruguay's independence. The city has contrasting styles, the majestic Spanish colonial style and the more rustic, more authentic Portuguese style. Today, Colonial de Sacramento has the quiet charm of a peaceful provincial town graced by the sun. Surrounded by water on three sides, there still exists a narrow paved road that leads to the Rio de la Plata, and it makes for a very romantic view. As modernism demands, the marina established along the quay offers a broad range of affordable services to its clients, be it on land or on the river. But here, the old cars foster nostalgia and give the old town and its cobblestone roads an unexpected cachet. With its preserved urban decor, a combination of solemnity and intimacy, Colonial de Sacramento is an example of a successful fusion between the Portuguese, Spanish and post-colonial styles. It is a great place to unwind before the powerful flow of the river, which has seen the history of the South American continent unfold. And, as if to top it all off, the city's historic district is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. St. Petersburg is the second greatest city in Russia, after Moscow. The city was the capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years until the revolution in 1917. It has preserved the unique architecture that evolved at that time, making it one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. Founded in 1703 by the Tsar Peter the Great, St. Petersburg is resolutely modern, thanks to its urban design and architecture. The new city was to enable Russia to open a window on Europe. And it was to help Russia rise to the rank of the great European powers, in line with the Tsar's wishes. The city center, built on the orders of the Russian sovereign, presents a unique style that combines Baroque and Neoclassicism, developed by architects that were most often Italian. Today, the city is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Along the Neva stands the Winter Palace. The former imperial palace, it was built in 1754 at the request of Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, as a replacement for the former palace, considered too small. Later, Catherine the Great added an extension called the Hermitage, where she would receive her guests and display her collection of great paintings. With its great inner courtyards, with its facades each bearing different decorations, the rectangular-shaped palace is considered a jewel of Baroque Russian art. The palace's interior reflects Russia's ambitions at that time. The hall's ceiling represents the Olympian gods. The palace was transformed into an imperial museum in the early 19th century. This explains the creation of a small throne room devoted to Peter I, though he never lived here. The armorial hall was devoted to important receptions. The jewel of the Hermitage Museum is undoubtedly its collection of masterpieces. This museum is, in fact, the greatest in the world, with over 60,000 pieces exhibited in nearly 1,000 halls, while nearly 3 million artworks are preserved in stock. Behind the Hermitage Museum, the palace square is one of the city's major squares. Its south side represents an arc-shaped building devoted to the memory of Russia's victory over Napoleon in 1812. The columns topped with capitals are indicative of the neoclassical style dear to the imperial crown in the 19th century. Upon its inauguration, a procession of 120,000 men paraded before Emperor Nicholas I, and 248 cannons boomed for over an hour. The Marble Palace was one of the city's first neoclassical palaces. It was built upon the request of Catherine II for her lover, Count Orlov, in the second half of the 18th century. The palace derives its name from the 32 different types of colored marble that decorate its exterior walls. One of the recessed facades shelters a small courtyard that contains an imposing equestrian statue of Alexander III, the next-to-last emperor of Russia. Ostrovsky Square is one of the 13 squares designed by Carlo Rossi, the Italian architect and chief of the city from 1818 to 1832. At its center stands a statue of Catherine II, bearing the emblems of power and surrounded by her entourage, made up of Suvorov, Potemkin, and Prince Orlov. It escaped the wrath of the Soviet government, who ousted all the other statues of the Tsarina. The square is flanked by the Alexandra Theater. The Stroganov Palace, built in 1753, is of Russian late Baroque style. This family was the richest in all of Russia. On the façade figures the coat of arms of the family, which is made up of traders, industrialists, landowners, and statesmen from the 16th to the 20th centuries, and who were nobled. The Anishkov Palace is a former imperial residence, in neoclassical style. It served as the primary residence of the then future Empress Elizabeth. Later, Catherine the Great offered it to her favorite, Prince Potemkin. It is at that time that the garden was created by an English landscaper. And this is where the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II, spent his childhood years, in the late 19th century. On St. Isaac's Square, facing the eponymous church, stands an equestrian statue of Emperor Nicholas I. Built in 1835, the ensemble creates the impression of power and contains the memory of this despotic Tsar's cruel repressions in the 19th century. The Belozelsky-Belozersky Palace is a neo-Baroque palace. It was entirely remodeled in the 19th century to rival with the Stroganov Palace, and indeed, it is a copy of the latter. This rococo palace ended up becoming the seat of the Soviet regional government after the revolution. The Yusupov Palace was formerly the main residence of the eponymous family, who was the second richest in all of Russia on the eve of the revolution, and was known for its philanthropy and its art collections. This sumptuous, aristocratic residence seems very quiet, given the turbulent events that took place here. Indeed, the palace is famed for having been the stage of Rasputin's assassination, that crazy monk who manipulated the Tsar's wife and intrigued the court. After the October Revolution, which took place less than a year after the assassination of Rasputin, the palace was nationalized. Today, this museum is devoted to the lifestyle of the Russian nobility before the revolution. It precisely evokes the luxurious life of the aristocracy, for whom nothing was too beautiful or too expensive. As we can see, the city of St. Petersburg is loaded with history, greatest according to the size of its population. The second Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it is also a major center of Russian industry, research and teaching, as well as an important European cultural center. After the communist period, the city reappropriated its imperial past, and along with it, it opened itself towards the West, to the great joy of visitors who can come discover a rich heritage worthy of real interest. Cheyenne, literally Western Peace, has a history of more than 3,000 years. Located right in the heart of the country, between fertile plains, deserts, mountains and the sea, it was the capital of China in the first millennium BC and into the next. Cheyenne was positioned at the eastern extremity of the Silk Road, which shows the interest that the Chinese had in neighboring civilizations, like those of India or Persia. Not only commercial goods, but also cultures and religions passed through this route. Today, Cheyenne has more than 8 million inhabitants, and is one of the 10 largest Chinese cities. The history of the giant wild goose pagoda goes back around 1,300 years. It was built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the third emperor of the Tang dynasty. Its current height is 64 meters. One of its many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of Buddha brought back from India to China by the traveling monk Chongzang. Around the year 650, the famous monk spent 20 years there translating the sacred Buddhist texts he'd brought back from his journey to India. He translated 1,335 volumes written in Sanskrit into Chinese, the original texts of Buddhism, which then spread throughout all of Asia. There are two legends passed down about the name of the giant wild goose pagoda. The first says the monk Chongzang was lost in a desert during his travels, and a goose came to show him the way to an oasis. The second tells how a young monk was very hungry one day when there was no food, and a goose fell from the sky to grant his wish. The beautiful statues of Buddha, the large scenes portraying his story in sculpted stone, as well as the multitude of sacred objects stored there, make the giant wild goose pagoda one of the most beautiful historical and cultural sites in Xi'an. The monasterial complex and its treasures clearly shows the importance of a major historical event in the Great Book of Civilizations. That of Buddhist culture leaving India to spread throughout Asia via the Silk Road and its major stopover, Xi'an. The Steel Forest, or Xi'an Bailin Museum, is a history museum founded in 1944 that collects steels and stone sculptures. The museum is housed in a site that was once a Confucian temple in the 11th century. The museum covers an area of 31,000 square meters. It is divided into seven main exhibition halls that mainly display ancient calligraphy, historic registers, and carved stone, representing the largest collection of this type in China. Most of the objects date from the Tang Dynasty. This museum temple will surprise you with its interesting collection of tombstones and Buddhist statues. One of the halls contains various stone statues of dignitaries. There are more than 200 works made during the first rich Chinese dynasties of the first millennium that are exhibited here. A part of the museum also shelters a large collection of steels, including some that reproduce the writings of Confucius. You have to pass by several pools before reaching the garden that contains the several pavilions that shelter them. The steels carry texts that were the foundations of knowledge and learning. They were engraved many centuries ago, before the existence of printing. To preserve these works and pass them on to future generations, the Chinese leaders decided to engrave them on stones. Historical and political facts were archived there, as well as religious and philosophical thoughts. One steel even recounts the presence of Catholics, the Nestorians, here in 781. Like the Buddhists, they had taken the Silk Road across the Himalayas. In a pavilion in the park, aligned monoliths topped by small demons open onto a room where a beautiful collection of imposing statues is displayed, ranging from chimera to gigantic rhinoceroses, weighing several tons. Further away, proud stone warriors share their stories with ancient sarcophagi whose occupants they may have crossed in times past. The city of Rome is at the heart of the story of ancient Rome, which dominated the Mediterranean basin and all of Europe at the beginning of our era. That is, the entire known world at the time. Over several centuries, different powers and ways of life built numerous monuments in the capital that have survived through the ages and become precious witnesses of this past. The Forum is the main square of ancient Rome, the place where citizens meet to deal with political, economic and religious matters. It is a meeting place that facilitates social life. The Forum was originally a swampy and inhospitable piece of land that served as an acropolis for the villagers in the neighboring hills. Around 600 BC, the site is drained and paved with beaten earth to become the center of city life. Over the centuries, new constructions invade the square, some on top of older ruins. The Temple of Saturn is one of the oldest in Rome. During the worship of Saturnalia each year in the month of December, celebrations take place where the slaves are released from their duties. The festivities are an occasion to exchange gifts, a tradition that continues. The Temple of Castor and Pollux is a Greek-style temple that's construction coincides with the birth of the Roman Republic in the 5th century BC. According to legend, the two heroes appeared as intrepid horsemen to help the Roman troops, and the original temple was built on the site where they watered their horses and announced the victory to the Roman people. The Basilica Giulia is a public basilica that was built in the 1st century BC. It holds shops and government offices. Under its arches they also practice banking, and tribunals judge matters of inheritance. Four trials can take place simultaneously in the central nave, which is divided with different rooms separated by movable partitions. The Temple of Vespasian only retains three of its 15-meter-high Corinthian columns, which lead you to imagine the majesty of the building. In front of it, the Arch of Septimius Severus built in 203 AD. It glorifies the emperor's military victories over the Parthians, the ancient people of Iran and Iraq. The Sacred Road is the path that crosses the Roman Forum from east to west. Its origins, very ancient, seem to go back to the founding of Rome. It is plotted as a decumanus, one of the two traditional axes of every Roman city. The Via Sacra saw the parades of victorious generals and their soldiers, during the celebration of their triumph, returning from conquests. The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is located on the northern side of the Via Sacra, at the entrance of the Roman Forum. It was constructed by the emperor Antoninus Pius to honor his deified wife, the empress Faustina, who died in 141. The temple stands on a large podium made of blocks of tuff, and the Corinthian columns are made of marble. They are 17 meters high and 1.5 meters in diameter. As you can see, the Roman Forum becomes quite overcrowded in the 1st century BC. So the emperor Julius Caesar will build another forum, and the emperors Augustus and Trajan will follow his example. So it's the emperor Julius Caesar who is the first to depart from the Roman Forum to have his own imperial forum constructed. Originally, the new site is meant to expand the old one, and thus make it possible to transfer some of the activities that take place there. But very quickly, the new forum becomes a distinct monument which Caesar uses for ideological purposes. It forms a large rectangle that stretches to 160 meters long, closed at its extremity by the Temple of Venus, whose lineage Caesar claims in order to raise himself to the same level as the Roman nobility. Of the temple, originally covered in white marble, only three Corinthian columns have survived the ravages of time. At the dawn of our era, following the example of Julius Caesar, the emperor Augustus has his own forum built, and dedicates a temple there to Mars, the god of war. Thus Mars becomes the defender of Roman power, and the forum a place that legitimizes the politics of Augustus by recalling his military victories. A model of imperial propaganda. The Forum of Trajan is the last of the imperial forums to have been built in Rome. It includes the famous column with a celebrated bas-relief that unrolls in a spiral around its shaft. Built between 107 and 113 for the purpose of propaganda, it commemorates the victory of the emperor Trajan over the Dacians, the people of present-day Romania. The inscribed story relates the unfolding of the two Dacian wars. It begins with the crossing of the Danube in the spring of 101, and ends with the deportation of the local population. The column is an integral part of the Trajan's forum. After his triumph over the Dacians, the emperor decides to have a forum built that will surpass all the others in its grandeur and richness. To these ends, he uses a portion of the spoils that he collected at the end of the war, estimated at 163 tons of gold and twice as much silver. 300 meters long, the complex is entirely covered in marble and decorated with sculptures. It includes a basilica, two libraries, one Greek and the other Latin, and a colonnaded courtyard as a central square. But before building this monumental complex, they had to clear a large area, and in order to avoid the landslides that could be caused by the works that modify the slopes of the hills, a semi-circular tiered structure known as Trajan's Market was built as a support. These vestiges of ancient Rome teach us a lot about the way of life of this great imperialist civilization's citizens. Their ruins give us a lively and imaginative insight into their everyday lives.