Curia Julia (Julian Senate House), Rome

The Julian Senate House was the third and final official Senate house of ancient Rome. It was built by Julius Caesar to replace the previous senate meeting hall. Caesar's design aimed to reshape the original open-air public meeting space and the Roman Forum, symbolizing the Senate’s declining influence during the late republic period. However, Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC delayed the project, and it was later completed by his successor, Augustus, in 29 BC.

Architecturally, the Julian Senate House was built with brick-faced concrete, adorned with marble decorations on the lower façade and stucco imitating marble blocks on the upper part. Its bronze doors are replicas, as the originals were relocated to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in 1660. The Senate hall, with its three broad steps, could accommodate up to 300 senators.

One of the best-preserved Roman structures, the Julian Senate House survived largely due to its conversion into a Christian church, in the 7th century, and later restorations. The building's roof, upper walls, and rear façade were reconstructed in the 1930s, following its acquisition by the Italian government in 1923.

Many visitors mistakenly believe Julius Caesar was assassinated in this building, but the Julian Senate House was still under construction in 44 BC. In reality, Caesar was killed at the Theatre of Pompey, near today’s Largo Argentina. As one of the most intact structures in the Roman Forum, the Julian Senate House offers visitors a glimpse into the political heart of ancient Rome.