Looking for detailed info on the Palatine
 

I would very much like to spend some time on the Palatine Hill in Rome this September but I can't find much in the way of detailed maps and descriptions of it. does anyone have any ideas where to find what I am looking for? Fodor's Italy book (which I got for my quote on the Mercato Centrale in Firenze) has a fair map and a few items' but it's not a lot of help. I need an intensive course on it I guess.

A simple google search for "Palatine Hill Rome" should turn up no end of detailed information and photographs and maps if you do some digging.

http://www.google.it/search?q=palati...ed=0CG8Q5wIwDg

Quite probably the greatest non-archeologist expert on Roman antiquity is actually resident on Fodor's: http://www.fodors.com/community/profile/paradiselost/
You might email him with your questions, or email him just to invite him to this thread so we can all benefit...

The Cadogan guides provide a fair amount of historical and cultural information. Certainly a good introduction to your topic. Available at many libraries.

We found this Oxford guide a good overall resource to ancient Roman sites:

Claridge, Amanda. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide, Oxford Univ Press, 1998.

This book may also be found at the library.

There are other volumes written over the years (starting in the 1940's) describing the classical ruins of Rome; a few devoted to the Palatine. They are enjoyable reading but of course would not include up-to-date maps or information on recent excavations. A search of amazon.com or a good sized library collection should produce a short list.

And, I echo an earlier comment that suggests a google search for articles and photos.

For me, one of the greatest pleasures of traveling is reading and researching in anticipation of my departure.

Enjoy!

Walter aka PardiseLost has lots of in-depth threads about the Colosseum/Forum/Palantine as it's a passion of his. I haven't seen a post by him in quite some time so I'm not sure you will get a response to an e-mail. You can scroll through the threads he started or here is one he started in 2006 with links to other info although some links may be expired after four years.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...on-rewrite.cfm

I want to second the Oxford guide mentioned above as excellent for the ancient sites. (It was especially good for the Imperial Forums as most guide gloss over these or skip them completely.) However, that being said, I still had pretty poor luck following the guide on the Palatine. Part of this is likely that this area is simply not very amenable to organized touring. Part of may have also been I was there with my family, including my 22-month old son, so probably could not concentrate as much as I would have liked or should have.

kybourbon, Walter's most recent post came in early this month, so I'm optimistic about getting a response.

franco - I think you are mistaken. What shows up at the top of his post list is a thread he started in 2008 and someone else responded this month. I don't see any recent posts by him.

Thanks for your suggestions about Paradise Lost postings. I do not need a history of the hill. I am pretty well versed on the history already. I am looking for detailed information on what I can find on the ground there today, and where it is, and what those particular sites consist of today.

Charnees,

Have you tried going on google and typing into the search box:

Palatine Hill map

Palatine hill virtual tour

Palatine hill today

Palatine hill itinerary

Palantine hill guide

Any one of those should net you what you are looking for.

"I need an intensive course on it I guess."

I believe this is the statement I responded to with suggestions for reading.

"Fodor's Italy book . . . has a fair map and a few items' but it's not a lot of help."

A guide to all of Italy would be unlikely to have detailed information - perhaps a guide to Rome or Classical Rome might have more information on the Palatine?

It was these remarks in your original post that suggested you had little information and exposure to the classical ruins you wish to see.

I don't mean to be argumentative or offensive - clearly your remarks were misunderstood.

I hope you find the information you seek and enjoy your visit!

portia, I'm sorry if my wording misled you. I did some searching on the net and mostly got a lot of info, but nothing organized enough to be of use when we go.

I finally realized that I was really looking for a self-guided tour, with enough detail that I would not just be looking blankly at stuff without understanding what I was seeing. I think I will end up -- brace yourself! -- with Rick Steves' Rome book, with its guided tour. I considered getting the audio tour, but then DH can't get the use of it if I am listening to it.

personally, I found the palatine much much easier to understand and enjoy than the forum, which appears to me to be very little more than a heap of stones, or rather several heaps. I had hoped that on our 2nd visit, by which time they had introduced paying for the forum, they would have sorted out the signage and provided a bit more help for the [now paying] public, but sadly, the only changes were the queue to bget in, and an extra charge to see some special exhibit that we weren't interested in.

this contrasts greatly with the colosseum, where they have fantastic signs and great information available to all. [for example the models of the way they transported the animals up to the arena].

unless you are very expert, i suspect that the Rick Steves guide will suffice. now let's both go and wash our mouths out!

charnees as I approached the Colosseum we were asked if we would like to have a guided tour - as it was our first morning in Rome we thought, why not? Turned out to be a really good decision.

Not only did we get entrance and a guided tour to the Colosseum but also a second tour of the Palatine Hill and the ticket lasted two days.

Both guides were excellent and gave a lot of information. We happened to be there over the weekend of the anniversary of the founding of Rome so got in for free later in the week and the second visit enabled us to loiter and take in more of the detail. We could have stayed as long as we wanted but there is so much to see I think a second visit is worth while.

I cant remember how much it cost, but I do remember being really surprised how cheap it was an initially did not have high expectations. Perhaps this route may help you?

If you just want Rick Steves, you can download his walking tour and maps to your Ipod. The info is on his website and Itunes. The downloads are free.

Ky, I considered the audio tour, but then Ican't share it with DH, who has to be force-fed info while there or he will hate every minute:)

Of course you can share. They make splitters for that where you can both plug in and listen. Another option is to rent the audio guide at the site.

AUDIO GUIDE
available: only Foro Romano, only Palatino, Foro Romano and Palatino
languages: English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Arabic
hire duration: 2 hours Foro Romano or Palatino, 3 hours Foro Romano and Palatino
price: € 4,00 Foro Romano or Palatino, 6,00 € Foro Romano and Palatino

FWIW - Walter's posts are much more than just history of the site. He gives details on what's there, what's left, pathways, new finds, etc.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...lking-tour.cfm