Forum of Caesar

Built by Julius Caesar with the idea of relieving congestion in the Roman Forum when Rome’s population boomed, the Forum of Caesar is the first of Roma’s Imperial fora. Caesar had spent a fortune to build it – mostly his personal funds deriving from the conquest of Gaul which he used to buy and demolish houses on the site. The most notable building is the 46 BC temple dedicated to Venus Genetrix (Venus the Ancestor), of which Caesar claimed to be one of the descendants. The temple contained statues of Caesar and Cleopatra, and as well as Venus. Nowadays all that remains is a platform and three Corinthian columns. Once enclosed by a double colonnade, under which there was a row of sheltered shops, the colonnade burned down in 80 AD and was rebuilt by Domitian and Trajan, who also added a basilica.
Tip: The Forum of Cesar is located in Via dei Fori Imperiali. An ideal itinerary on foot would start early morning from Piazza Venezia, follow along Via dei Fori Imperiali to then visit the Forum of Cesar, the Forum of Augustus, Trajan’s Forum and Markets, the Mamertine Prison, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, and finally end up in the Roman Forum.