Foro Romano

Beneath Milan’s vibrant streets lies a secret, the Foro Romano di Milano. This isn’t the bustling city center you see today. Imagine, instead, the heart of Roman Mediolanum. The Foro Romano was the pulse of this ancient city, a sprawling rectangle measuring approximately 160 meters long and 55 meters wide. It was a place of grandeur, a testament to Roman power and influence. Picture the scene: the year is 100 AD. You stand at the intersection of the decumanus and the cardo massimo, the main arteries of Roman city planning. These ancient roads correspond to today’s Corso di Porta Romana, via del Bollo, via Santa Maria Fulcorina, via Santa Maria della Porta, via Manzoni, via Santa Margherita, and via Nerino. The Foro Romano di Milano bustled with life. Merchants hawked their wares in the tabernae, the ancient equivalent of shops, lining the sides of the forum. Citizens engaged in lively debates, while politicians delivered impassioned speeches from the Rostra, a raised platform for public speaking. At the northern end of the Foro Romano, the majestic Capitolium dominated the skyline, a temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, the Roman equivalent of the Greek gods Zeus, Hera, and Athena. Nearby stood the basilica, where administrative and legal matters were conducted, and the curia, the city’s administrative center. The Foro Romano di Milano was not merely a marketplace or a center for government. It was a vibrant hub of social life, a place where people gathered to celebrate festivals, witness gladiatorial combats, and engage in public discourse. The forum continued to evolve, reaching its zenith during the Severan dynasty, between the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries. This era saw the construction of a grand entrance, perhaps a magnificent arch or a large fornix, symbolizing the growing importance of Mediolanum. However, as Mediolanum became the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the Foro Romano gradually lost its central role. The political and social focus shifted to the Imperial Palace and the area around the Archbishop’s Palace. The once-grand public buildings of the forum were replaced by private residences. The glory of the Foro Romano faded, its decorations and furnishings plundered as the empire declined. Centuries later, the modern city of Milan was built atop the ruins of Mediolanum. Today, you can still glimpse remnants of this ancient forum beneath the Biblioteca Ambrosiana and the church of San Sepolcro. Deep beneath the Ambrosiana, you can walk upon the original red Verona marble paving stones, laid down in the time of Augustus. These irregularly shaped stones, still bearing the contours of the buildings they once bordered, offer a tangible connection to the past. At San Sepolcro, marble from the forum, repurposed in 1030, forms the floor of the crypt, a testament to the enduring legacy of the Foro Romano di Milano.