The Mercati di Traiano are the world's first shopping mall — a six-storey semicircular commercial complex of approximately 150 units built into the Quirinal Hill slope above Trajan's Forum in Rome between 107 and 110 AD. The architect: Apollodorus of Damascus (the Syrian engineer who served Emperor Trajan as his chief architect, also responsible for Trajan's Column, the Trajan's Forum, and the Danube bridge used for the Dacian campaigns). The specific paradox of the Mercati di Traiano: they sit 300 metres from the Colosseum, in the zone most saturated with tourism in the world, and receive approximately 200,000 visitors per year — versus the Colosseum's 7 million. The interior — four floors of remarkably well-preserved Roman brick vaulting, the specific tabernae (commercial units) with their hinged wooden door frames still preserved in the stone lintel sockets, the great covered hall (the Aula with the five great cross-vaults), and the Museo dei Fori Imperiali inside — is one of the most rewarding and least crowded archaeological experiences in Rome. Rome guide
Plan my Italy trip →Built: 107-110 AD, Emperor Trajan, architect Apollodorus of Damascus | Floors: 6 levels; approximately 150 commercial units | Address: Via IV Novembre 94, Rome | Hours: Tue-Sun 9am-7pm | Entry: EUR 13 (includes Museo dei Fori Imperiali) | Combined ticket: Available with Colosseum and Forum | Queue: Rarely more than 5-10 minutes
The common description of the Mercati di Traiano as a 'shopping mall' is partially accurate but misleading. The complex was a multi-use commercial and administrative structure built into the natural slope of the Quirinal Hill as part of the massive Trajan's Forum project — which required cutting away approximately 30 metres of the Quirinal hillside to create the flat forum surface below. The semi-circular façade of the markets (the exedra, the curved frontage that mirrors the curved exedra on the other side of Trajan's Forum) was the architectural solution to the problem of the cut slope: the market tiers structurally retained the hillside while providing usable commercial space.
The specific function of the individual units (tabernae): the ground floor units facing the Via Biberatica (the main street that ran through the market complex, named from the Latin bibere — to drink — suggesting wine or other liquid trade) were retail shops; the upper floors contained offices, possibly granary storage, and administrative spaces connected to the annona (the Roman grain supply administration). The specific evidence for oil and wine trade: fragments of dolia (the large ceramic storage jars used for bulk grain, wine, and oil) have been found in several tabernae. The Trajan's Market complex was not a single-commodity marketplace but a mixed commercial zone — one of the most sophisticated examples of Roman urban commercial architecture. Rome underground guide
The Museo dei Fori Imperiali (the Museum of the Imperial Forums, opened 2007) is housed within the Mercati di Traiano building — the museum uses the preserved Roman spaces as its display rooms, creating the specific experience of examining the archaeological finds within the physical structure that produced them. The collection covers the five Imperial Forums (Trajan's Forum, the Forum of Augustus, the Forum of Julius Caesar, the Forum of Nerva/Transitorium, and the Forum of Peace/Vespasian) — the sequence of imperial building projects that transformed the area north of the Roman Forum into the most monumental urban ensemble of the ancient world.
Key exhibits: the casts of Trajan's Column reliefs (the original column, 30 metres tall, stands 200 metres away in Trajan's Forum; the museum cast programme allows close examination of the carved narrative scenes that document the Dacian wars at eye level); the original architectural fragments from the Forum of Augustus (the massive Corinthian column capitals, 3 metres across, from the portico of the Mars Ultor temple — the largest column capitals in Rome); and the specific reconstructed fragments of the Forum of Nerva that include the famous Colonnacce columns (two standing columns of the original portico, still visible from the Via dei Fori Imperiali outside).
The Mercati di Traiano (Trajan's Markets) are a six-storey semicircular commercial complex of approximately 150 units built into the Quirinal Hill slope above Trajan's Forum in Rome, constructed 107-110 AD by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus for Emperor Trajan. The best-preserved ancient Roman commercial structure in the world. Entry EUR 13 includes the Museo dei Fori Imperiali inside. Address: Via IV Novembre 94. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-7pm. Queue: rarely more than 5-10 minutes versus the Colosseum's 2-4 hour wait.
Apollodorus of Damascus was the Syrian Greek engineer and architect who served as Trajan's chief architect — responsible for the Trajan's Forum complex (the largest Imperial Forum in Rome), the Trajan's Column (the 30-metre spiral narrative column documenting the Dacian wars), the Trajan Bridge over the Danube (the longest bridge in the ancient world at 1,135 metres, used for the Dacian military campaigns), and the Trajan's Markets. He was reportedly executed by the emperor Hadrian after criticising Hadrian's architectural designs — the specific story is told by Cassius Dio. The Pantheon (Hadrian's project) was built after Apollodorus's elimination.
Mercati di Traiano entry: EUR 13 standard; EUR 11 reduced (EU citizens 18-25 with ID). The ticket includes the Museo dei Fori Imperiali. Combined tickets available with the Colosseum and Roman Forum (the Parco Colosseo circuit). Free: first Sunday of every month (the Italian state museum free-entry day — the Mercati di Traiano are managed by the Roma Capitale municipal authority, not the state, so check the current free-entry policy at museiciviciroma.it).
The specific Mercati di Traiano advantage over the Colosseum for understanding ancient Rome: the markets give you the interior of a Roman everyday commercial building — the preserved tabernae with their original floor levels, the brick vaulting, the Via Biberatica street surface, and the domestic Roman commercial scale that the Colosseum (a spectacle building) cannot provide. The Colosseum shows you Roman entertainment engineering; the markets show you how Romans actually lived and traded. And the Mercati di Traiano have a 10-minute queue versus the Colosseum's 2-4 hour wait with pre-booking required.
The Via Biberatica is the main internal street of the Mercati di Traiano — a paved road running through the middle of the market complex at the intermediate level, with tabernae (shop units) opening onto it from both sides. The name derives from the Latin bibere (to drink), suggesting liquid commodity trade along this street in antiquity. The Via Biberatica is the most atmospheric walkable ancient Roman commercial street surviving anywhere — the specific combination of the original paving, the shop door frames still in the stone lintels, and the brick-vaulted corridor above makes it the closest available experience to walking through an ancient Roman market district.
The Mercati di Traiano and the Colosseum circuit: the two sites are 300 metres apart along the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Recommended sequence: Mercati di Traiano first (8am opening, 1.5-2 hours, rarely crowded in early morning); then walk south along the Via dei Fori Imperiali past the external view of all five Imperial Forums; reach the Colosseum for the pre-booked timed entry (10:30am or later). The combined morning circuit covers the best preserved indoor Roman commercial architecture and the most impressive Roman spectacle building in approximately 4-5 hours total, before the midday heat and peak crowd periods.
Mercati di Traiano interior + Trajan's Forum + Roman Forum + Colosseum — the complete ancient Rome morning in sequence.
Plan my trip →The Mercati di Traiano are part of the broader Imperial Forum zone that includes all five Imperial Forums (Trajan's Forum, Forum of Augustus, Forum of Julius Caesar, Forum of Nerva, and Forum of Peace) — collectively the most ambitious monumental urban project of the Roman Empire. The Via dei Fori Imperiali (built by Mussolini in 1932, controversially cutting through the archaeological zone) provides the external view of this entire complex from ground level. The Trajan's Column: the 30-metre-tall spiral narrative column (completed 113 AD) stands in Trajan's Forum, 200 metres south of the Mercati di Traiano. The 200-metre-long relief spiral wraps around the column 23 times, depicting 155 scenes from the Dacian wars with approximately 2,500 human figures — the most detailed narrative document of a Roman military campaign available. The column is not accessible for climbing but the museum casts in the Mercati di Traiano show the relief scenes at eye level.
The Foro di Augusto (Forum of Augustus, begun 42 BC, completed 2 BC) is partially excavated and visible from the Via dei Fori Imperiali: the surviving columns of the Mars Ultor temple (the massive Corinthian columns, the capitals of which are displayed inside the Mercati di Traiano museum) and the fire-wall (the 33-metre-high semicircular brick wall that separated the Forum from the densely populated Subura quarter behind) are the most visible elements. The Forum of Augustus was built to fulfil a vow made by Augustus before the Battle of Philippi (42 BC) — the vow to build a temple to Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger) if he defeated Caesar's assassins.
Trajan's Column (Colonna di Traiano) is a 30-metre-tall spiral narrative column in Trajan's Forum (100 metres south of the Mercati di Traiano) completed in 113 AD to commemorate Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. The 200-metre-long relief spiral wraps 23 times around the column, depicting approximately 155 scenes and 2,500 human figures — the most detailed ancient Roman military narrative document available. The Mercati di Traiano museum contains full-scale casts of the relief scenes viewable at eye level. The column's hollow interior has a spiral staircase (167 steps) that was used in antiquity; the ashes of Trajan were placed in the base chamber in 117 AD.
The standard Mercati di Traiano and Museo dei Fori Imperiali visit takes approximately 1.5-2 hours: 30-40 minutes for the archaeological levels of the markets themselves (the Via Biberatica street, the tabernae, the great hall); 45-60 minutes for the museum (the Imperial Forum fragments, the Trajan's Column casts, the Forum of Augustus architectural displays). The combination makes this one of the most content-dense 2-hour archaeological experiences in Rome — more informative per minute than the Colosseum and significantly less crowded.
The Museo dei Fori Imperiali (opened 2007, housed within the Mercati di Traiano, included in the EUR 13 entry) documents the five Imperial Forums of ancient Rome through original architectural fragments and large-scale models. Key exhibits: the full-scale casts of Trajan's Column reliefs (viewable at eye level, unlike the originals 30 metres up on the column); the massive Corinthian column capitals from the Forum of Augustus Temple of Mars Ultor (3 metres in diameter, the largest surviving Roman column capitals in Rome); the Colonnacce fragments from the Forum of Nerva (the two columns still standing on the Via dei Fori Imperiali are part of the most intact portion of the Forum of Nerva above ground); and the scale model of all five forums in their 2nd-century AD maximum extent, showing the sequence of imperial construction.
Trajan's Forum (completed c.112 AD) was the largest and most ambitious of the five Imperial Forums — it required cutting away approximately 30 metres of the Quirinal Hill to create the flat forum surface, relocating the saddle of high ground that originally connected the Quirinal and Capitoline Hills. The specific scale: the forum was approximately 300 × 185 metres, with the Basilica Ulpia (the largest Roman basilica ever built, 120 metres long) at its north end, the Trajan's Column at the basilica's north side, and the two libraries (one Latin, one Greek) flanking the column. The cost of the construction was funded explicitly by the spoils of the Dacian Wars — Trajan's Column documents the campaign that paid for the forum that houses it.