Page 386 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

384  IT AL Y AND GREECE

Ancient Rome Hill, before walking around.
From there you can make out
Traces of ancient Rome are visible all over the city, occasionally the Via Sacra, the route of
a whole building, often just a column from a temple or an arch religious and triumphal
of an aqueduct recycled in a later construction. The major processions.
archaeological sites are to be found along Via dei Fori The best preserved
monuments are two triumphal
Imperiali, which runs from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. arches. The Arch of Titus
On the north side lie Trajan’s Markets and the forums of commemorates the crushing
various emperors; on the south side are the Roman Forum of the Jewish Revolt by Titus
and the Palatine Hill. Many museums hold extensive in AD 70. The later Arch of
collections of antiquities excavated in the city. Septimius Severus (AD 203)
records the emperor’s victories
libraries. Dominating the ruins over the Parthians.
today is Trajan’s Column. Most of the other ruins are
Spiralling up its 30 m (98 ft) temples or basilicas. The latter
high stem are minutely detailed were huge public buildings,
scenes showing episodes from which served as law courts
Trajan’s successful campaigns in and places of business. At the
Dacia (present-day Romania). western end of the forum are the
scant remains of the Basilica
Julia, named after Julius Caesar,
w Roman Forum and the earlier Basilica Aemilia.
Entrances: Via di San Gregonio and Via Close to the latter stands the
della Salara Vecchia 56. Tel 06-39 96 reconstructed Curia, where the
77 00. q Colosseo. @ 60, 75, 85, 87, Roman Senate once met.
117, 175, 186, 810, 850. Open daily. The eastern end of the Forum
Closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25. & is dominated by the shell of the
Romans fortifying a town in a detail from (includes entry to the Colosseum Basilica of Constantine and
Trajan’s Column and Palatine). ∑ coopculture.it Maxentius (4th century AD). The
adjacent Temple of Romulus is
q Trajan’s Markets The Forum was the center of now part of a church. Cross the
political, commercial, and judicial Via Sacra from here to see the
Via IV Novembre 94. Tel 06-06 08.
@ 40, 60, 171. Open Tue–Sun. life in ancient Rome. As Rome’s partly reconstructed Temple of
Closed public hols. & population grew, however, this Vesta and the House of the
∑ mercatiditraiano.it ancient Forum became too Vestal Virgins.
small, so Julius Caesar built a Further east past the Arch of
Originally considered among new one (46 BC). This move Titus are the extensive ruins of
the wonders of the Classical was emulated by successive the Temple of Venus and Rome,
world, Trajan’s Markets now emperors. The newer forums are built in AD 121 by Hadrian.
show only a hint of their known as the “Imperial Fora.” Attached to the ruined temple is
former splendor. The ruins of the Roman Forum the church of Santa Francesca
Emperor Trajan and his date from many eras and the Romana – patron saint of
architect, Apollodorus of layout is confusing. It is a good motorists. On March 9, drivers
Damascus, built this visionary idea to view them from the bring their cars here to have
complex of 150 shops and vantage point of the Capitoline them blessed.
offices in the early 2nd century
AD. The Markets sold everything
from Middle Eastern silks and
spices to fresh fish, fruit, and
flowers. It was also the place
where the corn dole was
administered; a free ration
for Roman men.
Shops opened early and
closed about noon. Almost
all the shopping was done by
men and the traders were
almost exclusively male.
The Forum of Trajan (AD
107–13) was built in front of the
market complex. It was a vast
colonnaded open space with a
huge basilica, and included two Central garden of the House of the Vestal Virgins, Roman Forum
For hotels and restaurants see pp438–40 and pp441–3

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