Via dei Fori Imperiali, part 2

Now let's look at the right side - here you can see the Conti tower (Torre dei Conti on the map), a medieval structure built in 1238 by Richard Conti, the brother of Pope innocent III, as a fortified residence. Initially, the tower had a height of about 60 meters, but as a result of earthquakes, the upper part collapsed, now its height is 25 meters.

To the West of the tower are the ruins of the Forum Nervæ (Forum Nervæ on the map), laid down by Vespasian, but legal under the Emperor Nerva in 98, and therefore received his name. Now only a part of the wall and a pair of granite columns of the temple of Minerva, which was dismantled in 1606 for building materials by order of Paul V, remain from the forum.

Then there is the Forum of Augustus (Forum Augusti on the map), the construction of which began in 20 BC on the instructions of Octavian Augustus.

The Central part of the forum was occupied by the temple of Mars, erected in honor of the victory at Philippi.

Сражение произошло в 42 году до н.э., перед битвой император принес жертву богу войны, прося о победе и пообещав возвести храм его имени. Обещание Август выполнил только спустя 40 лет.

In front of the remains of the forum in 1933, a bronze statue of Augustus himself was installed (on the map).

The marble original, known as" Augustus of prima Porta", which is kept in the Vatican Museum, was found in 1863 in the Villa of Livia, Augustus ' wife. and in turn, it was a replica of a bronze statue made in the year 20 ad. Here is such a historical squiggle, you know.

Then begins the territory of the forum of Trajan, from which only the market has partially survived (Mercati di Traiano on the map). The ancient prototype of the current Department stores was built in 112 by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. The five-story building housed about one and a half hundred shops that sold both food and consumer goods, and there was also a chance to eat in numerous taverns and eateries.

Here the girls from our group managed to make out with a Roman legionary. I don't know how much he valued his services.

Trajan's column (Colonna Traiana on the map) was built by the same Apollodorus of Damascus in 113 ad as a monument to Trajan's victory in the war with the Dacians (Franks). The pillar is 38 meters high and 4 meters in diameter made of Carrara marble and has a spiral staircase leading to the upper platform. The surface of the column is decorated in the form of a spiral ribbon, which depicts battle scenes of the war with the Dacians. At the base was a columbarium, where after the death of Trajan and his wife Pompeii Plotina were placed Golden urns with their ashes. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V ordered that the figure of the Roman Emperor be replaced with a statue of Saint Peter.

Behind the column is visible the Baroque Church of the Holy name of Mary (Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano on the map) built in 1751, architect Antonio Derice.

Via dei Fori, ends with the Piazza Foro Traiano, where there is another Church with a very similar architecture and name-Sanat Maria dei Loreto (Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto on the map). Construction of the temple began in 1507 under the leadership of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger.

The dome and lantern are the work of Giacomo del Duca, a pupil of Michelangelo. The Church was consecrated in 1585 in the name of the virgin of Loreto.

When you reach the end of the street, be sure to look back - you will see a wonderful prospect with the Colosseum in the center.