The Regia

he Regia is one of the oldest buildings at the Roman Forum. The foundation is attributed to Numa, who would have founded the Vesta Temple and the Atrium Vestae as well. Numa himself should have lived in the Regia and after him still other sovereigns. When the monarchy had been abolished in 509 BC, the Regia was occupied by the Pontifex Maximus who had taken over the religious function of the king. The Pontifex Maximus was the highest Priest in the board of the Pontifices, which was chaired by the Rex Sacrorum. This board had their meetings in the Regia, also in the period that the Pontifex Maximus didn't reside there.
In the Regia the archives of the Pontifices were kept, the 'annales' and the 'commentarii'. The Pontifices made up the calendar with the 'dies fasti' and 'nefasti' and they applied the lists of the consuls. The dies fasti - 'dies' means 'day' - were the days the praetor was allowed to administer justice and that's when the population could convene in public meetings. The dies nefasti were the national holiday. These were meant for religious celebrations.
The lists of consuls were attached to the walls of the Regia. We know this from the excavation of different bits and pieces of such lists at the place where the Regia must have been. Nowadays these fragments are to be seen in the Capitol Museum.
Further the Regia had several rooms and sanctuaries, like the room in which the 'ancilia' were kept. Under the government of the pious king Numa a great miracle took place. An elongated round shield - an ancile - had come down from heaven and landed on the earth. The Romans made eleven other shields after the same model and these twelve ancilia were carried about by the Salians in an annual procession in Rome.
In the Regia there was also a sanctuary of Mars. Here stood the lances that were consecrated to Mars, the 'hastae Martiae'. If these lances would ever start vibrating something terrible would happen. They are also said to have vibrated in the night of 14 March 44 BC. Caesar, High Priest at the time, in spite of the vibrating lances left the Regia to be present at the meeting of the Senate. It would be his last. He was brutally killed by Brutus and Cassius. Like the Temple of Vesta and the Atrium Vestae also the Regia, which was quite near, was burnt down. That's why the Regia was rebuilt in 148 BC and in 36 BC constructed in marble.
Hardly any traces are left of the Regia.