| The Roman Forum - the largest on this side of the Adriatic - was founded by the first Emperor Augustus, as documented on two 3rd Century stone inscriptions on the site. A raised area on the west side was the site of a temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. To one side a “Pillar of Shame“ still stands, where naughty people were chained and pilloried. (A second one was taken away and now stands near the Three Wells Square). The Forum also comprised a basilica and rooms for council chambers and citizens' assemblies. Underneath was a colonnade where shops and workshops once stood. The site was only discovered in the 1930s. Allied bombers inadvertently assisted in the clearing process, and site was completely cleared and restored between 1964 and '67. One of the most beautiful things about these remains is the way that they are still a part of the fabric of the city. No signs forbid you to touch or sit on the stones. Take time one evening to sit and imagine the bustle of the traders, the grandeur of the pagan temples and the horrors of the blood sacrifices that took place on the very altars you can see on this spot. |