- The Curia Hostilia was the Senate House and Symbol of the Roman Republic. It was replaced by the Curia Cornelia built on the same site by Sulla.
- This was then rebuilt as the Curia Julia in 44 BCE. Curia in Latin means ‘Meeting House’.
Description
- The original building was the Curia Hostilia.
- This was then replaced by the Curia Cornelia, under Sulla in 80 BCE.
- In 44 BCE Julius Caesar started building the Curia Julia on the same site as the Curia Cornelia, which was completed by Augustus in 29 BCE.
- It was rebuilt again by Diocletian (284-305 CE).
The Curia Julia today
- The Curia survives today because it was incorporated into the Basilica of St. Adriano al Foro during the 7th Century CE.
- The Altar of Victory:
- It held a Statue of Victoria, the Symbol of Military Victory.
- This was placed at the end of the Curia Julia by Augustus to commemorate his Victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.
- The Floor:
- Opus Sectile This was a technique where materials were cut into pieces, then inlaid in floors and walls to create pictures.
- The Bronze Doors:
- These still exist and are now positioned in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Basilica Sant’Adriano al Foro (Curia Julia)