Rome celebrates its patron saints with free visit to Forum sites.

From 29 June, the feast day of Rome's patron saints Peter and Paul, it will be possible to visit the Roman Forum and the Imperial Fora with a single ticket, thanks to a new itinerary connecting the two sites.

The city says the visit will allow the public to pass through "3,000 years of history" in the area between Curia Iulia, Foro di Nerva and Foro di Cesare.

To celebrate, there will be free access to the public on Saturday 29 June, the inaugural day of the new itinerary.

The uniting of the Forum sites follows an agreement between the city’s cultural heritage department, Italy's culture ministry and the Parco Colosseo archaeological park which, in addition to the Colosseum, includes the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and the Domus Aurea.

From 30 June tickets for the new itinerary can be purchased at ticket offices at the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill as well as at Trajan’s Column. The ticket costs €16 and is valid for the full day.

For visitors aged 18 to 25, the entry fee is €2 as part of measures introduced by the culture ministry to encourage young people to visit Italy's national museums and archaeological sites.