Trajan’s Market in Rome: Complete Guide to the Mercati di Traiano & the Museum of the Imperial Forums

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Are you trying to figure out what to see at Trajan’s Market in Rome, or what the famous Mercati di Traiano were actually used for in ancient times? You’re in the right place.

Hidden between Trajan’s Column and the Forum of Trajan, this monumental complex is one of the most impressive and best-preserved archaeological sites in Rome. 

Built in the 2nd century AD under Emperor Trajan, the huge red-brick structure is often described as the world’s first shopping mall. Today, the site has a whole new life thanks to the Museum of the Imperial Forums, where sculptures, reconstructions, and detailed models bring Ancient Rome back to life.

Set right in the heart of the historic center, Trajan’s Market is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the world of imperial Rome, while enjoying some of the best panoramic views over the ancient ruins. It’s also one of the city’s most engaging museums if you want to understand how Rome worked at the height of its power.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to plan your visit to Trajan’s Market in Rome:

• where it is and how to get there,
• its history and architecture,
• the highlights inside the Museum of the Imperial Forums,
• opening hours, ticket prices, and how to book,
• plus the best places to see around the site to round off your visit.

Ready to explore this underrated gem of Ancient Rome and walk in the footsteps of Emperor Trajan? Let’s get started 👇

What Is Trajan’s Market in Rome?

It’s impossible to walk along the Via dei Fori Imperiali without noticing that huge curved red-brick structure overlooking the Colosseum in the distance. That’s Trajan’s Market, Mercati di Traiano in Italian. A fascinating place, half archaeological ruin, half museum, where every brick still whispers a story from the Roman Empire.

Built in the early 2nd century AD, the complex was part of Emperor Trajan’s ambitious urban plan that transformed Rome into a truly monumental imperial capital. The project was designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, the brilliant engineer behind Trajan’s Column and several other major works. His vision was bold: a massive semi-circular structure carved into the slopes of the Quirinal Hill, rising up to six levels and housing more than 150 rooms.

Today, a large part of this original structure is still standing, majestic vaulted halls, long stone-paved corridors, and terraces offering some of the best views over the Forum of Trajan. One of the highlights is the Via Biberatica, a remarkably well-preserved Roman street that still has its ancient paving stones. Walking there really feels like slipping into the sandals of a merchant from 2,000 years ago.

What Was Trajan’s Market Used For?

So, what exactly was the purpose of Trajan’s Market? Despite its name, it wasn’t just a place where ancient Romans came to shop for food and everyday goods.

Archaeological research has shown that the complex served multiple functions at once. It included:

• Shops (tabernae) selling all sorts of products, vegetables, wine, olive oil, textiles, and artisanal goods.
• Administrative offices that handled economic and political affairs related to the Imperial Forums.
• Storerooms and warehouses, used for storing goods, public records, and official archives.
• And possibly even spaces for legal or municipal activities, where urban management and justice were handled.

In other words, it wasn’t just an open-air market but a full administrative and commercial hub, something close to a true ancient shopping and business center. Some historians even describe it as the world’s first covered shopping mall. Pretty amazing, right?

In short, Trajan’s Market was the beating logistical heart of imperial Rome, a place where merchants, officials, and ordinary citizens all crossed paths. A miniature city within the city.

Practical Information for Visiting Trajan’s Market (Hours, Tickets, Access)

Planning to visit Trajan’s Market in Rome (Mercati di Traiano)? Great idea! This iconic site of Ancient Rome is right in the heart of the historic center, just steps from Trajan’s Forum and Piazza Venezia. It’s incredibly easy to find and fits perfectly into a day exploring the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums, and the landmarks around Via dei Fori Imperiali 👇

Where Is Trajan’s Market Located in Rome?

Trajan’s Market is located on Via IV Novembre, a street that connects Piazza Venezia with the Monti neighborhood.

• Address: Via IV Novembre, 94 – 00187 Rome, Italy

You’ll recognize the site instantly thanks to its huge red-brick façade and its unique semi-circular shape built into the slope of the Quirinal Hill.

It’s impossible to miss: the entrance is right behind Trajan’s Column and directly facing the Vittoriano (the massive white monument you can spot from almost anywhere in Rome).

How to Get to Trajan’s Market in Rome

There are several easy ways to reach the Markets of Trajan, depending on where you’re coming from 👇:

• By metro: Take Line B to Colosseo. When you exit the station, walk up Via dei Fori Imperiali for about 10–15 minutes. You’ll arrive directly in front of Trajan’s Market.
• By bus: Often the most convenient option, especially if you’re staying near the center or the Vatican. Useful lines include 51, 75, 85, 87, 118, and the night bus NMB. Get off at Fori Imperiali or Piazza Venezia,  the site is just a few steps away.
• On foot: Trajan’s Market is so central that walking is often the easiest (and nicest) option. Distances on foot are 1 minute from Piazza Venezia, 5 minutes from the Capitoline Hill, 10 minutes from the Colosseum, 15 minutes from the Pantheon. It’s a beautiful walk along the Imperial Forums, with stunning views of ancient Rome the entire way.
• By car: Not recommended 😅. The area is part of Rome’s ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) and is heavily monitored. Parking is difficult, fines are common, and driving here adds unnecessary stress. Leave the car outside center and come on foot or by Rome public transport.

Practical tip: In the evening, the façade of Trajan’s Market is beautifully lit, as is Trajan’s Column. Even if you don’t have time to visit the museum, stop by the area at night, it’s one of the most magical views in Rome.

Trajan’s Market Opening Hours

Good news: Trajan’s Market is open every day, except on May 1st and December 25th.

Travel tip: If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy the site at its quietest, try visiting in late morning or late afternoon. The low-angle sunlight makes the red bricks and vaulted halls look even more beautiful.

Trajan’s Market Tickets & Entrance Fees (Including the Museum of the Imperial Forums)

A ticket to Trajan’s Market includes full access to the Museum of the Imperial Forums (see the dedicated page for more details).

Here are the current ticket prices:

Your ticket is valid all day, which means you can enter in the morning, leave for lunch, and come back later in the afternoon if you like.

👉 You can purchase your ticket in several ways:

• On-site, at the ticket office located at Via IV Novembre, 94.
• Online, through the official Trajan’s Market website.
• Skip-the-line option: available with the multimedia guided experience – see on the dedicated page >>.
• With a Rome sightseeing pass, such as the Roma Pass, which includes free or discounted entry to the Mercato di Traiano.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

• Recommended duration: Plan around 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the site and the museum at a comfortable pace.
• Audioguide / video guide: Available at the entrance for €6, with explanations in French.
• Footwear & comfort: The ground is paved and uneven in several areas, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
• Photography: Allowed everywhere (no flash).
• First Sunday of the month: Entry is free, just like in many Rome museums — but expect a bit more crowd.

And if you love panoramic views, don’t miss the upper terrace. It offers one of the most beautiful overlooks of the Imperial Forums and Trajan’s Column. Perfect for a memorable photo!

The Museum of the Imperial Forums: A Journey Through Time

A Museum Inside Trajan’s Market

Since 2007, Trajan’s Market has been home to the Museum of the Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Imperiali). This museum is a true gateway into ancient history, designed to bring the daily and political life of imperial Rome back to life.

Set directly inside the vaulted halls of the market, the museum unfolds across multiple levels, mixing archaeological remains with original artifacts, scale models, and multimedia installations.

This unique setting allows you to explore not only Trajan’s Market, but the entire world of the Imperial Forums, including:

• the Forum of Caesar
• the Forum of Augustus
• the Forum of Nerva
• the Forum of Peace
• and of course, the Forum of Trajan

Each section of the museum takes you through a different era, showing how every emperor tried to leave his mark through architecture and urban design.

Collections and Reconstructions

The museum holds an impressive collection of architectural fragments, sculptures, and Latin inscriptions discovered throughout the Imperial Forums. Some pieces, such as Corinthian capitals, colossal statues, and ornate decorative friezes, offer a vivid glimpse of the visual splendor of Ancient Rome.

But what truly makes the visit captivating are the digital reconstructions and 3D models that show what the forums looked like at their peak. Video projections and interactive animations help you visualize lost buildings, public ceremonies, and even how Romans traded goods or administered justice.

You’ll also learn about the engineering genius of ancient builders: the museum highlights Roman construction techniques, the use of opus caementicium (Roman concrete), and the meticulous organization behind imperial building sites.

Each room has its own atmosphere, some immerse you in everyday Roman life, others in imperial propaganda, and others still in major religious rituals. You leave with a complete picture of Roman civilization, somewhere between power, commerce, and culture.

History and Architecture of Trajan’s Complex

The Context Behind Its Construction

To understand Trajan’s Market, we need to step back to a time when Rome stood at the very height of its power. We’re at the beginning of the 2nd century AD, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, considered one of the greatest rulers of the Roman Empire.

Trajan, originally from Hispania, reigned from 98 to 117 AD, a period of extraordinary prosperity. After his victorious military campaigns, especially the Dacian Wars (in present-day Romania), he returned to Rome with an enormous amount of treasure. That wealth financed a series of monumental architectural projects, the most famous being the Forum of Trajan and the adjoining market complex.

The aim was clear: to showcase the power, wealth, and stability of Rome. Trajan entrusted the massive project to his favorite architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, a brilliant engineer known for his innovative use of terrain. Together, they designed a monumental ensemble carved directly into the slope of the Quirinal Hill, perfectly integrated into Rome’s natural topography.

Emperor Trajan and His Architect, Apollodorus of Damascus

Apollodorus wasn’t just an architect, he was a visionary. To build this immense complex, he literally sliced away a section of the Quirinal Hill, creating a vertical wall nearly the same height as Trajan’s Column (about 40 meters!).

The result was an engineering masterpiece: a multi-level structure made of brick and Roman concrete, perfectly adapted to the slope. The building embraced the terrain, achieving a balance between aesthetics and functionality.

Each floor served a distinct purpose:

• commercial spaces at the lower levels,
• administrative offices above,
• and circulation areas connecting the market directly to the Forum of Trajan below.

This interplay of terraces, stairs, and passages created an internal urban network, essentially a small city within the city.

The use of brick was highly innovative at the time. It provided both strength and architectural flexibility, and it’s also what gives Trajan’s Market its warm, unmistakable reddish hue among the ruins of ancient Rome.

This project marked a turning point in the history of Roman architecture: a perfect fusion of art, engineering, and imperial ambition.

The Monumental Ensemble: Forum, Column, and Trajan’s Market

Trajan’s Market cannot be separated from the rest of the complex. It formed the functional and administrative backbone of the Forum of Trajan, the last and largest of the Imperial Forums.

At the center of the forum stood the Basilica Ulpia, an enormous civic hall flanked by porticoes and libraries. At the far end rose the spectacular Trajan’s Column, 38 meters high, wrapped in a spiraling relief recounting the story of the Dacian campaigns. A monumental equestrian statue of Trajan stood nearby.

Trajan’s Market fit seamlessly into this monumental plan. Located just behind the forum, it served as its logistical and administrative zone. Workers, craftsmen, and merchants operated here, connected to the main square via stairways and passageways.

This type of spatial organization is typical of imperial Rome: everything was designed not only to function efficiently, but also to impress, and to last. Walking today along the paving stones of the Via Biberatica, or standing under the impressive brick vaults, you can almost feel the bustling activity that once filled the complex nearly 1,900 years ago.

The visual link with Trajan’s Column, still perfectly visible from the terraces, reinforces the architectural unity of this gigantic project. It wasn’t just a cluster of buildings: it was a political and aesthetic statement about the grandeur of Rome.

Trajan’s Market Through the Centuries and Its Restoration

This monument has gone through many transformations over the centuries. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it wasn’t abandoned, far from it. Trajan’s Market was reused and repurposed many times, which explains why such a large part of it has survived until today.

During the Middle Ages, several noble Roman families recognized the site’s strategic position and turned it into a fortified stronghold. This is when the Torre delle Milizie was built, the tall square tower that still overlooks the complex. Locals sometimes call it the “Tower of Nero,” even though it has nothing to do with the emperor.

In the 16th century, the complex was converted into a monastery, and later on, it served as military barracks. These successive reuses actually helped preserve the structure: the buildings remained occupied, maintained, and protected instead of falling into decay.

It wasn’t until the early 20th century that major archaeological excavations began. For centuries, Trajan’s Market had been partly buried or hidden beneath newer constructions. Between 1926 and 1934, extensive restoration work was carried out to uncover the ancient complex and reintegrate it into the grand urban project highlighting the Imperial Forums.

Finally, in 2007, after years of conservation and restoration efforts, Trajan’s Market reopened to the public as the Museum of the Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Imperiali). Today, it’s a place that is at once historic, educational, and visually spectacular, a site where you can truly understand how Rome functioned 2,000 years ago.

What to See Near Trajan’s Market

If you’re visiting Trajan’s Market, make the most of it, you’re literally in the heart of Rome’s historic center! As soon as you step outside the museum, you can walk to several of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Here are 7 must-see places near the Mercati di Traiano Museum of the Imperial Forums:

• Trajan’s Column : Just outside the market, this 38-meter-tall column tells the story of Emperor Trajan’s military campaigns through 155 spiraling sculpted scenes. It’s one of the best-preserved masterpieces of Roman sculpture.
• Forum of Trajan : Located just below the market, it formed a massive imperial complex together with Trajan’s Market. You can see the remains of the Basilica Ulpia, the libraries, and the central square where the emperor’s equestrian statue once stood.
• Victor Emmanuel II Monument (Altar of the Fatherland) : A few steps away on Piazza Venezia, this gigantic white marble monument offers breathtaking panoramic views from its terrace. Inside, you can also visit the museum dedicated to Italian unification.
• Capitoline Hill & Capitoline Museums : A 5-minute walk. Climb the staircase designed by Michelangelo and reach the elegant Piazza del Campidoglio. The Capitoline Museums hold masterpieces such as the Capitoline Wolf and an extraordinary collection of ancient sculpture.
• Roman Forum & the Colosseum : Walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali and you’ll reach the heart of Ancient Rome. These two sites can be visited together and immerse you in the political, religious, and social life of the ancient city.
• Monti Neighborhood : Just behind Trajan’s Market, this bohemian neighborhood is perfect for lunch after your visit. With trattorias, art galleries, cafés, and vintage boutiques, it’s one of Rome’s most authentic and charming districts.
• Piazza Venezia : This lively square is a key crossroads in Rome. From here, you can easily continue your walk to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, or Via del Corso for a bit of shopping between visits.

FAQ About Trajan’s Market

What can you see inside Trajan’s Market?

The complex is now home to the Museum of the Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Imperiali). Inside, you’ll find 3D reconstructions, scale models of the ancient forums, original architectural fragments and sculptures, and temporary exhibitions focused on Ancient Rome. The visit ends on the upper terraces, which offer stunning panoramic views over the Forum of Trajan and Via dei Fori Imperiali.

How much time should you plan for the visit?

Plan about 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the market and the museum at a comfortable pace. If you also want to admire Trajan’s Column, stroll along Via dei Fori Imperiali, or visit the nearby Capitoline Hill, plan for a half day.

Is Trajan’s Market included in the Roma Pass?

Yes. Trajan’s Market is included in the Roma Pass. You can visit for free if it’s one of your first two selected sites, or enjoy a reduced rate if you’ve already used your free entries elsewhere.

Can you take photos inside?

Yes, photography is allowed throughout the museum, but without flash or tripods. The terraces of Trajan’s Market offer some of the most beautiful views of the Imperial Forums and Trajan’s Column—perfect for photography lovers.

Is the site accessible for visitors with reduced mobility?

The site is partially accessible. Some areas have ramps and elevators, but the sloped and uneven paving can make certain sections challenging for wheelchairs or strollers. However, the museum offers an assistance service upon request at the entrance.