Do you need a ticket to see the Basilica of Maxentius?

To see it up close, yes. It stands inside the fenced Roman Forum and Palatine area, covered by the standard Colosseum combined ticket or a Forum-focused ticket. From Via dei Fori Imperiali you can see parts of its back wall for free, but the vaults are best viewed from the Via Sacra or the Palatine terraces.

Why is it called both Maxentius and Constantine?

Maxentius started building it around AD 308, but Constantine defeated him in 312 and completed it, adding a new entrance and a colossal statue of himself. Ancient and modern sources use both names. On park signs and maps you will usually see Basilica of Maxentius, sometimes with Constantine added in brackets.

Where is the giant statue of Constantine now?

The surviving marble pieces of the colossal seated statue, including the huge head, hand and feet, are displayed in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums. They were found in the basilica’s apse in 1486. The Capitoline Museums need a separate ticket from the Forum and Colosseum.

How long should you spend at the Basilica of Maxentius?

Ten to twenty minutes is enough to walk past the vaults, find the apse and read the on-site panels. Add a few minutes on the Palatine terraces for the classic full view. Most visitors see it right after the Arch of Titus on the way downhill through the Roman Forum toward the Temple of Saturn.

Basilica of Maxentius: What to See at the Roman Forum’s Largest…

Three giant coffered vaults of the Basilica of Maxentius seen from Palatine Hill — From the Palatine terraces you see the three surviving vaults of the north aisle in one frame.

What is the Basilica of Maxentius?

The Basilica of Maxentius (also called the Basilica of Constantine) is the largest building in the Roman Forum. The three huge brick vaults you see on the north side of the Via Sacra are only one aisle of a hall that once had a central nave roughly three times as high, covered by cross vaults resting on giant marble columns.

Emperor Maxentius began it around AD 308. After Constantine defeated him at the Milvian Bridge in 312, Constantine finished it, changed the entrance and placed a colossal seated statue of himself in a new apse. Like other Roman basilicas, it was a public hall for courts and official business, not a church.

Where the basilica sits on the Via Sacra. Orientation pins only, not a route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Basilica of Maxentius above the Roman Forum gardens on a summer evening — Only the north aisle still stands — the rest of the vast hall fell in earthquakes.

What can you still see today?

Look for three things. First, the coffered vaults: the octagonal sunken panels in the brick ceiling once held stucco decoration and show the scale of the lost nave. Second, the stubs of the nave vault springing from the top of the walls, which let you imagine the full height. Third, the apse at the west end, where the colossal statue of Constantine stood.

Fragments of that statue — the head, hand and feet — were found here in 1486 and are now in the courtyard of the Capitoline Museums, a short walk away. The last surviving giant column from the nave was moved in the 17th century to Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore, where it still stands.

Coffered brick vault and arched windows of the Basilica of Maxentius from ground level — Close up, the octagonal coffers in the vaults show how the whole ceiling was once decorated.

What should you look for in a short stop?

Where	Look for
North aisle vaults	Octagonal coffers in the brick ceiling
Top of the walls	Broken springing of the collapsed nave vault
West apse	Where Constantine’s colossal statue sat
South side on the Via Sacra	Remains of Constantine’s added entrance and porch
From the Palatine terraces	The best full view of all three vaults

Where is the best view of the basilica?

The most complete view is from the Palatine Hill terraces above the Forum, which is how most photos — including ours — are taken. From the Via Sacra you stand right under the vaults and feel their size, but you cannot fit them into one frame. Morning and late-afternoon light falls well on the brick; midday light is flat and the area has little shade.

Access to the interior floor of the basilica is sometimes restricted, and the space is used for summer events. Check the official park site for the current situation; even when the floor is fenced, you can see the vaults clearly from the path.

How does the basilica fit into a Forum visit?

It is the second stop on the usual route from the Via Sacra gate near the Colosseum: Arch of Titus first, then the Basilica of Maxentius a few minutes downhill on the right. Allow ten to twenty minutes, then continue toward the Temple of Romulus and the House of the Vestals. The basilica is inside the paid Forum and Palatine area.

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Reviewed October 2026. Ticket names, prices, hours and open areas change — always confirm on the official pages.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a ticket to see the Basilica of Maxentius?: To see it up close, yes. It stands inside the fenced Roman Forum and Palatine area, covered by the standard Colosseum combined ticket or a Forum-focused ticket. From Via dei Fori Imperiali you can see parts of its back wall for free, but the vaults are best viewed from the Via Sacra or the Palatine terraces.
Why is it called both Maxentius and Constantine?: Maxentius started building it around AD 308, but Constantine defeated him in 312 and completed it, adding a new entrance and a colossal statue of himself. Ancient and modern sources use both names. On park signs and maps you will usually see Basilica of Maxentius, sometimes with Constantine added in brackets.
Where is the giant statue of Constantine now?: The surviving marble pieces of the colossal seated statue, including the huge head, hand and feet, are displayed in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums. They were found in the basilica’s apse in 1486. The Capitoline Museums need a separate ticket from the Forum and Colosseum.
How long should you spend at the Basilica of Maxentius?: Ten to twenty minutes is enough to walk past the vaults, find the apse and read the on-site panels. Add a few minutes on the Palatine terraces for the classic full view. Most visitors see it right after the Arch of Titus on the way downhill through the Roman Forum toward the Temple of Saturn.

Basilica of Maxentius: What to See at the Roman Forum’s Largest Basilica