Heritage & monuments
Imperial fora
Imperial Fora
The Imperial Fora are the remains of a chain of grand public squares that successive emperors built alongside the older Roman Forum, once they ran out of room to expand it. Walking along Via dei Fori Imperiali, you look down onto excavated columns, paved streets, temple foundations and market structures spanning roughly a century and a half of construction, including the forum built by Trajan. It's a way to grasp the scale of imperial Rome's civic and political life without paying for a ticketed site, since much of it is visible from street level.
Getting there
The site runs through the heart of central Rome, an easy walk from Piazza Venezia or the Colosseum — about 10-15 minutes on foot from either. It's also reachable by bus along Via dei Fori Imperiali, or by Metro Line B to Colosseo, followed by a short walk.
Time to allow
Viewing the fora from the street and surrounding walkways takes around 30-45 minutes. If you also enter Trajan's Forum or the adjoining museum area, plan for an hour or more.
When to go
Early morning or later in the afternoon avoids both the midday heat and the heaviest foot traffic, since this stretch is a main thoroughfare between the Colosseum and central Rome and gets busy throughout the day. Shade is limited, so summer visits are more comfortable outside peak sun hours.
What to combine it with
Trajan's Forum and Trajan's Column sit right alongside, both within 0.2km, making them a natural extension of the same walk. The Arch of Septimius Severus at the edge of the Roman Forum is also about 0.2km away, and the Altare della Patria monument is a similarly short walk at the Piazza Venezia end.
Updated September 20, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
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