Imperial Fora: Vespasian and Nerva

The temple of peace also called the forum of Vespasian

Entirely eastward, directly behind the temple of Romulus lies the peace forum, also called the Forum of Vespasian. Barely anything has survived. It was commissioned by Vespasian. The entire complex was a large, rectangular square surrounded by colonnades. The peace temple was at the back, as a commemoration of the peace treaty following a long period of civil wars. In this temple, which was not elevated, the loot was kept that was brought in by Vespasian’s son Titus from Jerusalem. Both sides of the temple had libraries and colonnades with famous statues.

Remnants of the temple of peace and columns      Remnants     Aedes Pacis

Peace temple or Vespasian Form: remnants
photos: Courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org, columns: Deb Nystrom and Aedes Pacis: Gustavo Le Piazza

Peace Forum Hall of the “Forma Urbis Romae” 
The wall of the “Forma Urbis Romae” nowadays

Peace Forum Hall  “Forma Urbis Romae” 

Forum of Nerva

Statue Nerva Via Fori dei Imperiale
photos: Carole Raddato and Szilas

Statue of Nerva Via Fori dei Imperiale

“The Forum of Nerva was the fourth and smallest of the imperial fora. Its construction was started by Emperor Domitian before the year 85 AD, but officially completed and opened by his successor, Nerva, in 97 AD, hence its official name. This street had long served as a market area, especially for booksellers and cobblers; the new forum continued to serve as both a thoroughfare and as a monumental entrance to the larger Roman Fora.”

“The plan of the Forum of Nerva is long and narrow, with protruding columns decorating the walls instead of arcades. A temple dedicated to Minerva dominated the western end, behind which was a monumental entrance.”
Cited from Wikipedia

Forum of Nerva remains of the peristyle and in the current urban context  

Nerva Forum
photo: Carole Raddato

   Nerva Forum and reconstruction drawing    Middle Ages c. 1000
Giovanni Battista Piranesi ‘Forum van Nerva’ 1748 – 1778    Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Nerva Forum
photos: Petr Dvorak reconstruction drawing: Carole Raddato

Continuation Rome day 3: Imperial fora Trajan Forum and Market