Trajan's Forum

Trajan’s Forum is an ancient monumental complex in Rome, Italy, constructed in the early 2nd century CE on the order of Emperor Trajan. It formed the final and largest of the Imperial fora in the city.

Commissioned after Trajan’s Dacian victories in the early 2nd century CE, the forum and its associated buildings were designed as a monumental civic and commemorative complex and were active in Roman public life for centuries. Over time parts fell into ruin and were quarried for building material, and archaeological excavation and conservation work in the modern era have recovered and stabilised significant remains.

The forum sits in central Rome along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, between the Capitoline Hill and the Colosseum area, within the dense archaeological core of the city.

• Construction period: The complex was constructed in the early 2nd century CE under Emperor Trajan and was part of the sequence of Imperial fora in ancient Rome.
• Viewing points: Good vantage points for viewing the ruins include the Via dei Fori Imperiali and the pedestrian walkways that run alongside the archaeological zone.

What to See #

• Forum core: The central paved forum area and remains of public buildings such as the Basilica Ulpia and Trajan's Column, forming the core ceremonial space of the complex.
• Markets of Trajan: Markets of Trajan, a multi-level complex of shops and administrative rooms adjoining the forum, historically functioning as an ancient commercial centre.