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The Mons Esquilinus Casa of M. Fabius Furius

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Lucus Fagutalis

A beech grove on the Oppian spur of the Esquiline.

The slopes of the western end of the Mons Oppius were once covered by stands of beech trees. The beeches were so numerous that this end of the hill and an ancient temple of Iuppiter located there were named for them. This neighborhood is now more commonly known as the Carinae because of some buildings in the district that resemble the keels of ships. The Carinae has become one of Rome’s more exclusive places to live and the home of a number of prominent citizens, including Pompey the Great, the brother of the eminent Cicero, and Marcus Antonius.

Much of the beech forest is now gone, replaced by homes and shops. In places, however, a few groves remain untouched. For those who enter the woods, a calmness and quiet descend like a covering to block the turbulent noises of the Subura in the valley below. The chirping of birds, the rustle of leaves, and the soft creaking of branches are the sounds of the woods.

Spend an afternoon, citizen, in quiet contemplation. Follow the street of the vicus Iovis Fagutalis to one of the remaining groves and visit the shrine within. On your way home, visit the shop of a woodworker or have a snack in a small popina.

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Page background from Eos Development.
Images: Color plates of beech leaves in summer and autumn from Some Familiar Trees by G. S. Boulger, c. 1900.
Grove of beeches known as the Zonienwoud, Brussels; photo from Wikipedia Commons media files.

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