I Markets of Trajan are an archaeological complex with absolutely unique characteristics in Rome and, we can say, in the world.
Indeed, they represent a “district” that has witnessed 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 marks of the different “hands” that in different eras have readapted the complex to various functions, to reach us and embark on a new “season” of life.
Precisely by exploiting this ambivalence of an excellent container of its own history and the history of the city, we have designed the exhibition dedicated to the Imperial Forums in the Markets of Trajan, which were an integral part of them, not as a “commercial 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 commissioned by Emperor Trajan.
We do not want to “exhibit” the individual fragments (although splendid) of a past decorative splendor, but to materially recompose the architectural-sculptural decoration, even tackling very demanding works from a material point of view. But it is not enough: it is absolutely essential to make the visitor perceive the complexity of the ancient construction site, its working 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 mode of expression, but choosing the most flexible one depending on communication needs: multimedia products resulting from the communication system, publication through websites, CD-ROMs, and DVDs, are now a stable part of production in the museum and cultural sectors in general and complement traditional paper production (guides in various languages, catalogs, etc.), broadening the circulation of information at various levels.
