Forum of Trajan

Located at Rome, the Forum of Trajan is the splendid symbol of the imperial forum in its most completed form. It makes of all drilled them imperial a relatively unit unit.

History

After the celebration of the triumph (105 after JC), wanting to perpetuate the memory of his victory, the emperor decided to build a forum which, by its size and its richness, was to exceed all them, other forums of city. The forum was designed and built under the direction of the architect Apollodore of Damas of 106 with 113, year of its inauguration. It is with final, a whole much more complex compared to the others drilled Roman. One notices the progress of the monarchical idea clearly there. The forum associates buildings with political destination with a whole with economic vocation: gone of Trajan, beside the forum.

Construction

Already perhaps its creation had been prepared by Domitien which had begun the clearing of the collar of Quirinal. To spare the place of his forum in a a little exiguous space, the Apollodore great architect of Damas made level the col which connected the hill of Capitole to Quirinal and a height of almost 40 m of ground which will symbolically be recalled by the height of the Trajane column. It was necessary to transport 61 million cubic meters of ground and of rock but the extension brought a new surface of approximately 300 meters out of 200. In this way, this new space allowed the construction of the new forum and the buildings in hemicycles, to retain the ground mass. Immense space created ensured the communication between the forum and the Champ de Mars.

Thus to avoid the possible crumblings of the grounds, it was decided realization of a structure in hemicycle and in steps, to compensate for the static requirements and to bring an esthetic solution to the unit, they were the Marchés of Trajan.

Structure

The unit formed a complex independent of the remainder of the district with an access to the East by a large arc with a bay carrying a statue of the emperor on the tank of the triumph. One penetrated then in a vast white marble place bordered of elevated gantries which sheltered of share and others, as on the forum of Auguste, of broad exèdres. In the center of the place drew up the equestrian statue of the emperor. At the bottom of this court the basilica ulpia rose which, tranversale compared to the axis, closed the whole of its imposing frontage. The basilica of 170 m out of 59 m counted five naves and two apses side and one central vessel rose with nearly 30 Mr. It largest was ever built in Rome and was characterized by the luxury from polychromy from his marbles, of his bronze ornaments. The building was planned for the legal activities, the commercial transactions and the official ceremonies.

Beyond the basilica, two buildings of a library (Greek and Latin) between which large the Colonne Trajane rose (or column Coclide ) which celebrated in its low-reliefs the Roman conquest of the Dacie. A little further was colossal the Temple of Trajan. It is said that the executions on the level of oxen proceeded there in the year 1286 after remainder with knowing if you believe in the legends…

See too

Roman Architecture

External bonds

Photographs of the Forum of Trajan

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