The Forum

Around the Forum
The great basilica of Maxentius and Constantine was the largest structure in the Forum, and served as the inspiration for much of the domed designs of the Renaissance. What remains today is just one side of the building, used for justice and law courts. The great vaulted roofs are amazing. The area covered (according to my guidebook) was 330 feet by 215 feet, rising 115 feet high.

Probably the prettiest columns remaining in the Forum are these elegant stands from the Temple of Saturn, from about 42 BC.

The road to and from the Forum, first looking east, then west, was usually blocked off from vehicular traffic, making it a great place for your daily passagieta (evening stroll).


One of the sites I really looked forward to visiting was Trajan's Markets. I don't remember this place as even "existing" at my first visit. It still seems rather "new" (for such an old place), and the authorities seem a little unsure of what to do with it. Trajan's Markets was a "complex of shops and offices" similar to a modern shopping mall. It was a very interesting architectural space, and had some minor exhibits. But the chief value currently seems as a venue to hold concerts, fashion shows, and television interviews (based on the media presence throughout).