The glory of Rome’s Mercati di Traiano

If you’ve ever been to Rome, it’s doubtful you’ve missed the Roman Forum – stretching from the Colosseum to the Piazza Venezia.

The Italian word for the Roman Forum is Fori imperiali, which is Imperial Fora – this is because their are multiple fora, each created by a different emperor.

The Mercati di Traiano or Foro Traiano was created by Emperor Trajan, after having returned victorious from the conquer of Dacia (in modern-day Romania). The spoils helped to build this impressive structure – the largest of the imperial fora.

You should absolutely admire the impressive victory column, with its intricate carvings of the Roman campaign in Dacia.

The Mercati di Traino (Trajan Market) was constructed in 106-112 AD.

It’s thought to have been history’s first “covered shopping mall”, with shops and administrative offices developed on various levels. In recent years, much more of this complex has been open to the public, and it’s impressive to see the remains of the ancient forum.

In the middleages, this was largely built over, and the Torre delle Milizie was constructed in 1300, and still takes pride of place in the complex.

The original complex contained a library, a concert hall/auditorium and a temple for the gods. There were believed to be more than 130 shops in the original structure -and numerous “tabarnae” – taverns on the ground floor.

The museum is well worth a visit, as is the film played ina  loop to see how Rome was constructed over the markets -and how excavations in the Fascist era rediscovered what lay beneath.

Rome’s Mercati di Traiano is well worth a visit on your next trip to the Eternal City