Via dei Fori Imperiali

A straight street 30 meters wide and 850 meters long separates the main Roman forum from the imperial forums. The street was laid in 1924-32 on top of the excavations of ancient imperial forums (Trayana, Augustus, Nerva), partially ruins of forums can be seen on the sides of the street. During the construction, the pedestal of the statue-colossus of Nero and the ruins of the ancient fountain were destroyed.

Since the 1980s, the removal of the Via dei Fori Imperiali street has been raised, as it divides the archaeological area and hinders excavations.

According to Mussolini, the Via dei Fori Imperiali was supposed to symbolically connect the Colosseum with the Place de la Venezia, the center of the new fascist empire. The opening of the Via dell’Impero (Empire Street) took place on April 9, 1932.

After World War II, the street was renamed Via dei Fori Imperiali. Every year on June 2, a military parade is held here in honor of the Day of the Italian Republic. Since the 1980s, the issue of eliminating the street has been repeatedly raised, as it divides the archaeological zone into two parts and interferes with excavations. Currently, Via dei Fori Imperiali is open to road transport and only on Sundays turns into a pedestrian zone.