Rome - Trajan's Markets

A multi-level site in the heart of Rome's Imperial Forums district, the Trajan's Markets *** complex provides an interesting (and quieter) contrast to the busy Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Rising up the side of the Quirinal Hill behind Trajan's Forum, the 'Markets' (which may well be misnamed) contain streets at three separate levels flanked by smaller vaulted units, knitted together by a network of passages and stairways. Perhaps overlooked by many visitors to the city, the surviving remains are a superb example of Roman urban architecture from the early 2nd century CE. A visit is strongly recommended.

Location & Access

Trajan's Markets lie on the side of the Quirinal Hill, appearing in views from the Via dei Fori Imperiali as a mass of arches and brick-built structures rising above the scant remains of Trajan's Forum (see photo below). The obvious tower is the separate medieval Torre delle Milizie, which was closed at the time of my visit.

Trajan's Markets viewed from the Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome.

Access to the site is from the Via IV Novembre (location link here) over a small modern footbridge. The site entrance is at the side of the complex, at a higher level than the Imperial Forums. If approaching from the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the best pedestrian route is to go past Trajan's Column and up the steps of the Via Magnanapoli. This leads to the Via IV Novembre, where the site entrance is on the right.

Opening times are listed on the site's website, with admission charges varying depending on whether a temporary exhibition is being hosted. At the time of writing, the site is open on Mondays - unlike the Colosseum and Roman Forum - but this may change, so check before visiting. The nearest Metro stations are Colosseo or Cavour (both on line B), with about a 15 minute or so walk from either, including some hills. The upper part of the Markets complex has been adapted for wheelchair access.

Trajan's Markets also contains the Museum of the Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Imperiali), containing statues and other finds from the nearby Forums of Augustus, Julius Caesar and Nerva as well as the Forum of Trajan. Temporary art exhibitions are also hosted.  

Date of my Visit

The photos in this post are from my visit in 2026.

Brief Historical Background

The date of Trajan's Markets has been the subject of debate. The current view, including research on brick stamps from various parts of the complex, is that early works began under the reign of Domitian (81-96 CE), with the building being completed under Trajan (98-117 CE). The semi-circular plan of the main body of Trajan's Markets clearly aligns with the rear wall (exhedra) of Trajan's Forum below, although little of the latter now survives.

Similar questions have been asked about the function of the complex. The 'Great Hall' on the upper level, now the main entrance, has a striking resemblance to a modern shopping mall, with a central atrium flanked by what appear to be small shops or taverns (see the first photo in this post). When the site was excavated in the early 20th century, it was thought that these had a retail or other commercial function, leading to the modern 'Trajan's Markets' name, and until recently this remained the prevailing view (Claridge, 2010). However, the site's official website now explains that the buildings "made up a sort of “multi-functional centre”, where public activity took place" - that activity being the administration of the main forum itself. Nevertheless, the Trajan's Markets moniker has stuck, and I've used it here.

General view showing the curve of Trajan's Markets (on the right), the site of the porticus of Trajan's Forum (bottom centre) and the columns of the Basilica Ulpia (towards the left of the image with Trajan's Column behind). 

As with many of Rome's substantial surviving structures, Trajan's Markets passed through several later phases of occupation and adaptation. In the 13th and 14th centuries the complex became incorporated into a fortified structure, of which the adjoining Torre delle Milizie remains a dominant feature. It was then used to house a convent, with some structural alterations, in the 16th century, followed by a further change to barracks use in the late 1800s after the unification of Italy with Rome as its capital. Excavations took place between 1926 and 1934 under Italy's Fascist administration, including the removal of many post-Roman alterations. Given the site's history, it is not surprising that there is little (or no) archaeological evidence remaining that could show us what people were actually doing in these rooms. Nevertheless, the site still provides an evocative glimpse into the Roman age.  

Trajan's Markets houses the Museum of the Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Imperiali), containing finds from the nearby forums, and is a venue for other temporary exhibitions. I have included a few highlights from the museum at the end of this blog post.

Exploring Trajan's Markets

After negotiating the ticket office, gift shop and left luggage lockers, you are confronted by what is now known as the Great Hall (below) (Italian - Grande Aula).

Trajan's Markets - the Great Hall

A huge concrete vault, standing on piers flanked by two parallel upper walkways, gives this space a light, airy and modern feel. Generally, the complex is built from brick-faced concrete, with stone used mainly for architectural details.

On either side of the hall are a series of doorways leading into side rooms. The spaces on the right (south) side have windows while those opposite are more gloomy vaults. This is a general pattern for the site as a whole; as a result of its position, many of units have been built into the hillside and have little or no natural light. The rooms leading off the Great Hall house a range of exhibits from the Museo dei Fori Imperiali.  

It is worth noting that the neat stone surrounds of the doorways, each with a smaller opening above (below), are largely reconstructions. Images from the 1920s show that these were generally missing when the site was being excavated and restored. 

Doorways in the side of the Great Hall. The right hand one has stairs to the upper level.

Climbing to the upper level gives a better view of the vaulted roof and allows you to appreciate the structure as a whole. A modern bridge (partly visible to the upper right of the photo above) links the two higher level walkways. 

  

Trajan's Markets - the upper levels of the Great Hall

Trajan's Markets - upper walkway

Returning to the main level, there is a choice of onward route. A doorway to the left leads through a passageway created in modern times to a building facing towards the hill behind. This contains a maze of rooms, some of which house further museum exhibits, leading to an open area in front of the medieval Torre delle Milizie.

The original Roman route went through the right hand door, from where steps descend to the Via Biberatica (below), a street seemingly suspended halfway up the hillside.

Trajan's Markets - the Via Biberatica. The doorway on the right leads to steps down from the Great Hall.

Although you will be inevitably drawn towards the panorama across the imperial forums, it is worth making a brief detour at this point by turning right and walking around the corner. This leads to what might be the most authentic Roman street scene in central Rome (below), with ancient buildings rising on either side (obviously the one at the far end is modern). The overall design reflects that of the Great Hall, which is situated above and to the right.

Trajan's Markets - Roman street scene on the Via Biberatica

At the far end of this street are steps and a wheelchair lift linking back to the Great Hall. However, its best to retrace your steps and follow the Via Biberatica out along its semi-circular curve (or hemicycle) following the footprint of Trajan's Forum (see photo below). The units on the outward-facing side of this street have been largely lost with only foundations remaining. In contrast, those facing into the hillside are well-preserved, although not all open to view. Notwithstanding the modern interpretation of the site's function discussed above, it is hard to escape the thought that at least some might have been occupied by shops or other commercial premises.

Trajan's Markets - looking down onto the Via Biberatica

Walking further along this route brings you to a staircase leading back up to the higher level. A terrace here gives excellent views over the site's multiple levels (below), as well as towards Trajan's Column (see earlier image). From this point you can double back through rooms at this level to return to the Great Hall. However, it is worth retracing your steps down to the Via Biberatica.

Trajan's Markets - view from the terrace showing the multi-level structure

From the Via Biberatica level, staircases descend further down the hill. These lead to an enclosed street, located behind the upper row of arches in the above photo, with a series of rooms or units facing into the slope of the hill. From here you can get a closer view down onto Trajan's Forum (below): a basalt-paved street ran between the base of Trajan's Markets and the back wall (exhedra) of the forum, which is now only one or two courses high. One of a pair of Egyptian granite columns adjoining an entranceway through the exhedra wall has been re-erected and stands in solitary splendour.

 

Trajan's Forum - view from lower levels of Trajan's Markets

That completes our tour of the Trajan's Markets complex. All that remains is the climb up several staircases to return to the Grand Hall. 

Museo dei Fori Imperiali

While this blog post focuses mainly on the built fabric of Trajan's Markets, it's impossible to ignore the collection of artefacts housed in and around the Great Hall. A small selection are illustrated below, but this doesn't do full justice to the variety of objects on display. It is worth taking some time to explore these rooms during your visit.

Museo dei Fori Imperiali - Female portrait from the Forum of Trajan

This detached head (above) from a colossal statue (which probably reached almost 5 metres in height) is thought by some to be a portrait of Nero's mother Agrippina the Younger (AD 15-59). However, as the museum caption points out, this would be an unusual image to display in Trajan's Forum. Instead it is suggested that this may be intended to represent Trajan's mother, about whom very little is known.

Among the many other sculptures on display, I was particularly taken by this small bronze bust of the philosopher Chrysippus (below), a Greek philosopher of the 3rd century BC. The piece is Roman, probably dating from the Flavian period (around AD 75). To my eyes the level of realism gives it a rather modern appearance. It was found during excavations of the Temple of Peace (on the other side of the Via dei Fori Imperiali) in the late 1990s.

Museo dei Fori Imperiali - bust of Chrysippus

Excavations of the Forum of Nerva around the same time produced several fragments of a relief that has been identified as coming from the building's upper level (Italian 'attico'). The reconstructed image (below), dating from AD 97, is thought to symbolise one of the provinces added to the empire. 

Museo dei Fori Imperiali - Relief from the Forum of Nerva

As a nice domestic contrast, a room on the opposite side of the Great Hall contains a striking display of amphoras of varying sizes and designs. The rounded Dressel 20 design (below) was used mainly to transport olive oil from Baetica (Southern Spain). It's nice to come across so many intact examples: back in Britain we're usually only seeing fragments.

Museo dei Fori Imperiali - Dressel 20 amphoras

The final image in this selection is a touch bizarre - a disembodied female right foot in gilded bronze (below). It seems to have belonged to the statue of a winged victory (Nike) from the Temple of Mars Ultor ('Mars the Avenger') in the Forum of Augustus dating from 2 BCE when the temple was dedicated.

Museo dei Fori Imperiali - foot from statue of winged victory, Forum of Augustus

Final Word

After exploring all of those stairs, passages and rooms, it comes as a bit of a disappointment that Trajan's Markets doesn't contain a cafe! Fortunately there are plenty of refreshment options in the site's vicinity, for example on and around the Via Panisperna - a five minute walk to the east.

Site References

Mercati di Triano official website - link. This includes a variety of resources, including a virtual tour.

d'Aquino, R. (2015) 'One or two things about architecture: Restoration works at Trajan's Market.' Frontiers of Architectural Research, 4(2), p.81.

Claridge, Amanda (2010) Rome - An Oxford Archaeological Guide (2nd edition). Oxford: OUP. (An essential resource!)

Lancaster, Lynne (1995) 'The date of Trajan's Markets: an assessment in the light of some unpublished brick stamps'. Papers of the British School at Rome, 63, pp.25-44.

Lancaster, Lynne (1998). 'Building Trajan's Markets.' American Journal of Archaeology, 102(2), pp.283-308.

Lancaster, Lynne (2000) 'Building Trajan's Markets 2: the construction process.' American Journal of Archaeology, 104(4), pp.755-785.

Text and images (c) Mike Hetherington (unless otherwise stated). Visits to Roman sites described in this blog are at your own risk.