Rome, Italy - Il Vittoriano, Trajan's Forum, Forum of Augustus

A look at the ruins of Trajan's Forum with many questions about old development and new development.  What do we need to save?

This part of the tour starts at the monument build to honor the first king of a unified Italy.  It has several names: English - National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, Italian - Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II or Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) or simply Il Vittoriano.  It is a beautiful building.  We were inside during the tour of Rome in December 2010.  Of interest, there is an elevator to the top.  At the base of the elevator, about at the level of the base of the columns, there is a very nice cafe.  Then take the elevator (reasonable price) to the top and see all of Rome, the Forum, Colosseum.  I think that it is best to schedule to stop here after you have become familiar with the layout of Rome. We knew what we were looking at as we awed at the view. Click here for details on the monument.


Click here to see my video view of Rome, taken from the top of this memorial in December 2010.

 We passed in front of the memorial (#1 on the map) several times, circling Piazza Venezia (the grassy area in front of the monument) so that both sides of the bus could have a good view.  We then turned south on Via dei Fori Impenali.  The googlemap will help you. Back to discussing this broad street, Via dei Fori Impenali.  Click here to read the details of the street.  Generally, this road was build by Mussolini and runs directly from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. It is a four lane road (rare in this area of the city) built so that a triumphal march or parade could be held.  It is reported that much was destroyed, people were moved, and the artifacts found poorly archived with little associated data.

I didn't get to see a triumphal march or parade, but I did see a student protest held in 2010.  Click on this link to see the post about the student protest with video and pictures. The wide road certainly held protesters and tourists alike.  Well, on to the current trip and what I saw.

The first site on this street was the church Santa Maria di Loreto #2 on the map. It is a 16th century church noted for the statuary inside.  It is worth a peak inside.  On the right of the church is Trajan's Column.

#3 on the map, Trajan's Column is about 98 feet high.  The structure is classified a "Roman Triumphal Column".  A continuous frieze winds around from the base to the capital. The relief shows Trajan's two victorious military campaigns against the Dacians.  (Click here to see the post showing Napolean's similar column in Place Vendome in Paris for his victory at Austerlitz.)

This is a closeup of the relief. (Source: wikipedia)  I also saw on the wikipedia site that copies of the column have been made and "slices" put on display at eye level so that you could see all of the carvings.  These are in multiple museums.

 This view, #4, shows Santa Maria di Loreto on the left, and what looks like a twin church on the right, Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano (English? The Church of the Most Holy Name of Mary at the Trajan Forum).

 In this photo, #5 on the map, you can see a large number of upright columns.  These columns were from the Basilica Ulpia, named after the Roman emperor Trajan (full name Marcus Ulpius Traianus). When it was built, most of the political life moved from the Roman Forum to the Forum of Trajan.  This is not a religious basilica and was dedicated to the administration of justice, commerce and the presence of the emperor.  Many of the columns exist today, either upright or fallen.  Part of the basilica continues under Via dei Fori Imperiali. You can see the columns by looking in the arches under the road.

This view, #6, looks across the main forum area you will see Trajan's Markets.  It is difficult to see on the photo, but the low brownish building on the left is a semi circle. These areas were called "exedra".  (There used to be a mirrored matching exedral boundary space on the south side of Trajan's Forum.) This semicircular brick facade includes three superimposed rows of shops. The third level opens onto a well preserved ancient street, Via Biberatica (from biber meaning drink, the location of most of the Roman taverns and grocers' shops).  This complex was probably used to store large quantities of food managed by the State for both retail purposes and free distribution to the plebs.  The Trajan's Markets are thought to be the world's oldest shopping mall!  (Source: Knopf Guides - Rome)

Note for the next tour:  Stop here!  The new "Museo dei Fori Imperiali" (Museum of the Imperial Fora) is open and contains a wealth of artifacts from all of ancient Rome's forums.

 At the south end of Trajan's Forum is #7, the Forum of Augustus (Foro di Augusto).  The tall white columns are from the Temple of Mars Ultor.  The Forum of Augustus (construction started in 20 BC) housed the temple and provided space for legal proceedings as the Roman Forum was very crowded. (Sounds a lot like 2000 AD!)

 This is a close-up view of the Temple of Mars Ultor.

This is an artist's sketch (Source: wikipedia).  I think that this is the flip side of what we see in the photos. I think that the back of the temple is on the right side of the photo above and left on the sketch below.

This is the map of the area.  (Source: wikipedia)  The left side is the Trajan Forum and the right side is the Augustine Forum.  I placed the map last because it is easier to read once you understand the layout of the buildings and forums.

And,  once more, we close on another fantastic view of history all within in a distance of less than a mile.  After the research and the writing, I am left with a pondering thought.  Progress at what price?  The main road Via dei Fori Impenali has displaced a lot of the history in this area.  But on the other hand, it is, as intended, a great roadway for public demonstrations.  The demonstration that we witnessed in 2010 had plenty of space to organize groups of marchers as they made their way to the legislative building.  There was plenty of space for marchers to walk side by side with banners.  Plenty of space for tourists and nonprotesters to move.  Were the items that were destroyed to make the road already in a state of decay? Is the strong objection to the road is that correct archaeological procedures weren't followed and we were left with no context for the salvaged pieces? By the way, much of earlier Rome was destroyed and people displaced in order to build both Forums. Was that progress? What do you think?

Please leave your comments or questions.  Have you visited these areas? Do you have any recommendations?