I Markets of Trajan are an archaeological complex with absolutely unique characteristics in Rome and, we can say, in the world.
They in fact represent a “district” that has experienced the evolution of the city from the imperial age to the present day, constantly reused and transformed: from a strategic administrative center of the Imperial Forums, to a noble residence, to a military fortress, to a prestigious convent headquarters, to a barracks… in a continuous becoming, which is felt in the architectural transformations and in the signs of the different “hands” that in different eras have readapted the complex to the various functions, to arrive to us and embark on a new “season” of life.
Precisely exploiting this ambivalence as an excellent container of its own history and the history of the city, we designed the exhibition dedicated to the Imperial Forums in the Markets of Trajan, which were an integral part of them, not as a “shopping center” (according to past archaeological literature), but as a set of buildings intended to administer activities and operation of the largest and most famous of the Forums, the one desired by Emperor Trajan.
We do not want to “display” the individual fragments (albeit wonderful) of a past decorative splendor, but to physically reassemble the architectural-sculptural decoration, also undertaking very demanding works from the material point of view. But that is not enough: it is absolutely essential to make the visitor perceive the complexity of the ancient construction site, its work system, its “technology”, as well as it is fundamental to reproduce the real environment, that is, the activities that took place in the Forums, the people who frequented them, in other words to reproduce real life in real spaces.
To achieve these objectives, respecting the scientific rigor of the reconstructions, we propose to use the best technologies available today: from graphics to multimedia, not wanting to use only one method of expression, but choosing the most flexible one depending on communication needs: multimedia products derived from the communication system, publishing through websites, CD-ROMs, and DVDs, have now become a stable part of production in the museum and cultural field in general and accompany traditional paper production (guides in various languages, catalogs, etc.), making information circulation broader at various levels.
