The Trajan's Markets - The Museum of the Imperial Fora

The Museum of the Imperial Fora, in the Trajan's Markets, is topographically and conceptually linked to the impressive urban system of the Imperial Fora: of Caesar (46 BC), of Augustus (2 BC), of the Temple of Peace (75 AD), of Nerva (97 AD) ) and of Trajan (112 and 113 AD).

The area was to house warehouses, shops, and offices of the imperial administration and serve other commercial and administrative purposes. This monumental complex has buildings rising on several levels, on the slopes of the Quirinale Hill and on a semi-circular, towards the Trajan's Forum.

The monument, called Trajan's Market on the occasion of the rediscovery between 1926 and 1934, was a multifunctional center with administrative activities at the service of the Trajan's Forum, built in the same period. It on 6 levels and is divided into several buildings separated by streets along the slopes of the Quirinal hill, which it supports with the Great Hemicycle.

Following the occupations and transformations over time, the area underwent state-of-the-art conservation and structural restoration work between 2005 and 2007.

Inaugurated in the Autumn of 2007, the Musum of the Imperial Fora constitutes the first museum of ancient architecture and exhibits recompositions of scores of the architectural and sculptural decoration of the Fora, obtained with original fragments, casts, and modular additions in stone, according to the museographic choice of reversibility. This finds return the “perception” of the volumes and richness of the Fora and of the figurative programs, both tools of imperial propaganda.

The Museum occupies the buildings of the Great Hall and the Central Body and includes the Great Hemicycle with the section of the Trajan's Forum.

The exhibits are presented according to a mixed communication system with traditional panels, multimedia technologies, and interactive installations, for an original approach to visiting the museum. The exhibition itinerary starts in the Great Hall with the introduction into the Forum area and their representation through the most important finds. The visits begin in the Great Hall, with an introduction to the area of ​​the Forums, and with the representations of the various Forums, illustrating the main finds recovered from each. On the upper level, are the sections of the Forum of Caesar and of the Memory of the Ancient One and, in the Central Body, of the Forum of Augustus, the model adopted in the Roman Provinces.

In addition to the Museum of the Imperial Fora, the premises also host fascinating temporary exhibitions.