Regia

During the Ancient Roman Republican times, in the Forum, between the Sacra Via and the Temple of Vesta, stood a small structure- the Regia. It was located on a trian gular patch of terrain.
 * REGIA**

Legend says that King Numa constructed the Regia (‘King’s House’) as a palace to live in. At the Regia, Numa was said to perform divine service, instruct and converse with the priests on sacred subjects.

Later, the Regia became Pontifex Maximus’ official headquarters and the sacred colleges’ assembly place. The archives of the pontiffs were kept in the Regia, as were the formulas of all kinds of prayers, vows, sacrifices, and so on. The state calendar of sacred days was also stored here, as were the Annals (annual record of events for public reference). Furthermore, laws relating to marriage, death, wills, and so forth, were stored at the Regia. The ancilia (‘shields of Mars’) which had fallen from Heaven and were carried by the Salii (‘dancing priests of Mars’) were here also.

Today, only the Regia's foundations remain from Republican and Imperial times. Similar to the Curia, the Regia was destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times since the Roman monarchy. This assertion has followed excavations that have revealed multiple layers of similar buildings on the site of the Regia. Examining the strata, it can be seen that the //Republican// Regia boasted more ‘irregular’ features than its predecessors, hence was probably made for a different purpose than previous constructions of the building.