Trajan's Forum in Rome, Italy

A friend of mine was asking me last time to mention to her if I can find a cheap trip to Rome, Italy. I found one but at the time I called the travel agency, it was already fully booked. Around two weeks ago she told me that she finally booked a trip to Rome. I am very glad for her because she can finally visit the so-called "Eternal City".

I had been to Rome last August 2010. It was only a 4-days visit including the flights and the sightseeing and I still find it too short to see everything. At least, I finally visited and experience the capital city of Italy.

One of the sights we visited was the Trajan's Forum, called in Italian as Foro di Traiano. It is an ancient structure in Rome, Italy and known as the last of the Imperial fora. It was constructed by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus.

Trajan's Column on the far left of the photo..I took it during our visit last Aug. 2010.

This forum was constructed on the order of Emperor Trajan with the spoils of war from the conquest of Dacia, which ended in 106. The Fasti Ostienses states that the Forum was inaugurated in 112, while Trajan's Column was erected and then inaugurated in 113.

To build this monumental complex, extensive excavations were required: workers eliminated the sides of the Quirinal and Capitoline (Campidoglio) Hills, which closed the valley occupied by the Imperial forums toward the Campus Martius.

the plan of Trajan's Forum.