The Imperial Forums ★

Some of the Imperial Fori—the Forum of Caesar in the foreground, with the brick curve of Trajan's Markets in the background and, to the right of that, a bit of the Forum of Augustus. (Photo by Wally Argo)

The Fori Imperiali represent Rome's first major urban expansion of public areas beyond the Forum—most importantly the Forum of Caesar, Forum of Augustus, and Forum of Trajan

The chief monuments of ancient Rome line the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

As Imperial Rome began outgrowing its Roman Forum core, the Imperial Fori were built by a succession of emperors (starting with Julius Caesar) in ambitious bouts of urban expansion that provided for the populace, curried favor with the elite, and improved the city infrastructure all at the same time.

Today, this collection of Fori Imperiali is neatly bisected by Via dei Fori Imperiali, a triumphal avenue from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum laid out by Mussolini so he could parade his own glories past the decaying remnants of the Caesars. » more

Though, with the exception of Trajan's Market, the various Imperial Fori are rarely open—and you have to pay if you want to wander around down inside them—the fantastic views from above (the modern road is a good 15 feet above the ancient ground level) are absolutely free.

Markets of Trajan ★

By far the most dramatic and rewarding of the Fori Imperali is not a forum at all but rather the curving brick arc of the Markets of Trajan, the oldest surviving multi-level shopping mall in the world. It also now houses the Museum of the Imperial Forums, making it the only bit of the Imperial Fori consistently open to the public—and through a connecting tunnel you can often access the adjacent Trajan's Forum... » more

 

Trajan's Forum

The Forum of Trajan is marked by the exclamation point of a triumphal column—and, as part of the Fori Imperiali Musuem in the adjacaent Markets of Trajan, is the only Imperial Forum that is consistently open to the public... » more

 

Forum of Augustus

The stairs and column stumps in the center once belonged to the 2nd-century BC Temple of Mars Ultor. When it’s open, you can follow a catwalk running along the forum’s edge to get a better view... » more

 

Forum of Caesar

The earliest of the Imperial Fori, the Forum of Caesar (i.e.: Julius), is the only one on the west side of Via dei Fori Imperiali. Those three standing Corinthian columns belonged to his self-serving Temple to Venus Genetrix, a goddess from whom Caesar claimed direct descendance through Rome's legendary founder, Aeneas... » more

 

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