Rearuh

Schematic map of Rome showing the seven hills

The seven hills of Rome (Italian: Sette colli di Roma [ˈsɛtte ˈkɔlli di ˈroːma], Latin: Septem colles/montes Romae) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city.

The seven hills are:^[1]

• 
  Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)


• 
  Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)


• 
  Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)


• 
  Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)


• 
  Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)


• 
  Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)


• 
  Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)

The Vatican Hill (Latin Collis Vaticanus) lying northwest of the Tiber, the Pincian Hill (Latin Mons Pincius), lying to the north, and the Janiculum Hill (Latin Ianiculum), lying to the west, are not counted among the traditional Seven Hills.

History

Tradition holds that Romulus and Remus founded the original city on the Palatine Hill on April 21st, 753 BC, and that the seven hills were first occupied by small settlements that were not grouped nor recognized as a city called Rome. The seven hills' denizens began to interact, which began to bond the groups. The city of Rome, thus, came into being as these separate settlements acted as a group, draining the marshy valleys between them and turning them into markets (fora in Latin). Later, in the early 4th century BC, the Servian Walls were constructed to protect the seven hills.^[2]

In modern Rome, five of the seven hills, the Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal, and Viminal Hills, are now the sites of monuments, buildings, and parks. The Capitoline Hill is the location of Rome's city hall, and the Palatine Hill is part of the main archaeological area.

Other cities with seven hills

Constantinople, Lisbon and the Massachusetts cities of Worcester and Newton (among many others) are also said to have been built on seven hills, following the example of Rome.

In the New Testament

In the Book of Revelation, the Whore of Babylon sits on "seven mountains",^[3] typically understood as the seven hills of Rome.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

See also

Other Roman hills

• Monte Mario


• Oppian Hill (Oppio)


• Velian Hill (Velia)


• Pincian Hill


• 
  Monte Testaccio, an artificial hill composed primarily of broken amphorae
  


• Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo)

General

• Seven hills

References