By Katharine Bogen

Faculty Mentor: Liane Houghtalin

Abstract

The Curia Julia has one of the most fascinating histories out of all the buildings in Rome. Julius Caesar began its construction (44 BCE) in the Forum Romanum as the meeting place for the Roman Senate, and it continued to serve as such until the eventual fall of the Roman Empire. The building stands today almost completely intact, something which cannot be said for other structures from the same period. How did the Curia Julia survive when so many contemporary structures did not? After exploring its construction and building materials; its conversion to a church in the 7th century; and its restoration in the 1930s to its former appearance as a senate house, this presentation will review and recommend approaches for the continued preservation of the Curia Julia in the 21st century and beyond.