Palatine Hill

A schematic map of Rome showing the seven hills and the Servian Wall Plan of the Palatine Palaces on the Palatine Palatine Hill from Colosseum Massive retaining walls extended the area on the Palatine available for the Imperial building complex. The Palatine Hill (; ; ) is the centremost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands 40 metres above the Roman Forum, looking down upon it on one side, and upon the Circus Maximus on the other. From the time of Augustus Imperial palaces were built here and hence it became the etymological origin of the word palace and its cognates in other languages (Italian palazzo, French palais, German Palast, Czech palác, etc.).