Where Ancient Rome Comes Alive

The Imperial Forums (Fori Imperial) of Rome, Italy

As Imperial Rome began outgrowing its Roman Forum core, the Imperial Forums were built by a succession of emperors (starting with Julius Caesar) in ambitious bouts of urban expansion that provided for the populace, curried favor with the elite, and improved the city infrastructure all at the same time.

Today, this collection of Fori Imperiali is neatly bisected by Via dei Fori Imperiali, a triumphal avenue from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum laid out by Mussolini so he could parade his own glories past the decaying remnants of the Caesars. » FULL STORY

Though you have to pay if you want to wander around down inside them, the fantastic views from above (the modern road is a good 15 feet above the ancient ground level) are absolutely free.

The Forum of Caesar

The earliest of the Imperial Fori, the Forum of Caesar (i.e.: Julius), is the only one on the west side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, tucked between the Vittorio Emanuele monument, the Capitoline, and the Roman Forum.

It was in the 1st century BC that the popular general Julius Caesar (with his eye on the dictatorship) used the money he made during his successful Gaulish wars to buy up all the private property flanking the Roman Forum at this spot, tear down the houses, and build public temples and markets in their stead.

Those three standing Corinthian columns belonged to his self-serving Temple to Venus Genetrix, a goddess from whom Caesar claimed direct descendence through Rome's legendary founder, Aeneas.

Forum of Augustus

ås you walk from the Colosseum north and branch onto Via Alessandrina, the first major forum on your right is the Forum of Augustus.

The stairs and column stumps in the center once belonged to the 2nd-century BC Temple of Mars Ultor. When it’s open, you can follow a catwalk running along the forum’s edge to get a better view.

More dramatic are the next set of ruins, the Markets of Trajan and, across Via Alessandrina, Trajan's Forum, both now open to the public » FULL STORY

Via dei Fori Imperiali
www.capitolium.org