Forum of Augustus

Augustus commissioned this forum after vowing to build a temple to Mars Ultor, Mars the Avenger, if he succeeded in avenging Julius Caesar's assassination, and the surviving temple columns and high boundary wall, built tall specifically to shield the forum from a crowded, fire-prone neighborhood behind it, still convey the site's original ambition. It's one of several Imperial Fora strung along Via dei Fori Imperiali, each built by a different emperor to expand on the original Roman Forum. Free to view from street level, with fuller access sometimes available through guided visits, it's an easy stop for anyone walking this stretch of ancient Rome. Less visited than the Roman Forum itself, it offers a quieter look at the same era.