The Forum Boarium

Slightly off-centre, south of Rome's historic centre, the Forum Boarium was nevertheless one of the economic hearts of ancient Rome. It stands on the present Piazza della Bocca della Verità.

Getting there : Metro Circo Massimo station or bus lines 23, 63, 81, 83, 170, 628 …

Address : Piazza della Bocca della Verità

Opening hours : exterior visit only.

Ticket prices: free

Two ancient temples and two arches are still standing. On the same square you will find the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the famous Bocca della Verità. The Forum Boarium, the oldest and one of the most important in Rome, was the city's cattle market. It stood near the Tiber and the port of the ancient city, which made it easier to transport goods. Several monuments, including temples, were built on the forum; some of them remain:

Round temple or Temple of Hercules: this small round temple was built in the 2nd century BC by a Greek architect and funded by a merchant. Built of marble, the temple was probably dedicated to Hercules the Victor, even though it is sometimes called the Temple of Vesta because of its resemblance to a temple in the Forum. Twenty fluted columns with Corinthian capitals surround the cella. Thanks to its conversion into a church at the end of the Roman Empire, the temple has come down to us in excellent condition.

Temple of Portunus: also wrongly called the Temple of Fortuna Virilis, this small rectangular temple stands on a podium. A first building was constructed around the 3rd century BC, but the present building dates from the 1st century BC. It is dedicated to Portunus, god of the harbour and protector of sailors. The temple, built of travertine and tufa, has 4 columns on the façade and 7 on the sides, of which 5 are engaged in the wall of the cella. They have Ionic capitals. Access to the podium is by a small staircase. The Temple of Portunus was converted into a church in the 9th century, which spared it probable destruction.

Arch of Janus: this large arch, 12 m on each side and 16 m high, pierced with openings on every side, was not a triumphal arch but a gateway at an important crossroads. Its name does not refer to the god Janus but to the Latin ianus meaning gateway. Built in the 4th century AD of concrete faced with marble, its façades have many niches that once held statues. At the top of each archway you will see reliefs representing deities, probably Rome, Juno, Minerva and Ceres. This arch also served as a shelter from sun and rain.

Arch of the Money-changers: adjoining the church of San Giorgio in Velabro, this small arch was erected in AD 204 by the guild of money-changers in honour of Septimius Severus and his family.

Under the arch you will find 2 bas-reliefs, the first showing the emperor making a sacrifice, the second Caracalla performing a libation.

The bas-reliefs on the outside of the arch show Roman soldiers and barbarian prisoners.

Fountain of the Tritons: on the square you can also see a large Baroque fountain, commissioned by Pope Clement XI from Bizzaccheri in 1715, surmounted by a basin supported by tritons.

Near the Forum you can visit the very fine church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and see the famous Bocca della Verità there.