Trajan's Forum Plaza

Address: Trajan’s Forum (Foro di Traiano), Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome, Italy

Website: https://parcocolosseo.it

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.

Trajan’s Forum (Foro di Traiano) is in central Rome, immediately north-east of the Roman Forum. The nearest metro is Colosseo on Line B; from Colosseo it’s about a 5-10 minute walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali and adjacent side streets. From Roma Termini station it is reachable by a short taxi ride or a 15-20 minute walk (or one metro stop on Line B to Colosseo). Driving is possible via central roads such as Via dei Fori Imperiali but parking is limited.

• Visit first thing in the morning to avoid coach groups that later fill the Imperial Fora and to get unobstructed photos along Via dei Fori Imperiali. 
• Combine Trajan's Forum with the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum on the same ticketed itinerary where possible, and use the pedestrian route from Piazza Venezia so you encounter the forums in historical sequence. 
• Take time for Mercati di Traiano (Trajan's Market) museum - it provides context and exhibits that many passersby miss when they only view the ruins from the street.