The Forum (Foro Romano) is a rectangular place surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, gladiatorial matches and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitol Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and archaeological excavations.