Trajan's Markets

Now it is a sad fact that a large proportion of Rome's sites are sadly neglected. Or rather they are under restoration, which means it seems that they are fenced off but with no work being done on them.

One notable exception to this is Trajan's Markets. This area has been wonderfully restored and done in a way which is, well, chic. If you can do ancient sculpture in a trendy designer fashion, this is it. Maybe it has to be since it doesn't have the best choice of exhibits - really leftovers.  Because I went in early and out of season, I also had the place almost to myself. Unsurprisingly, the site sits just behind Trajan's Column.

Torre delle Milizie

 Torre delle Milizie

A short walk further on takes one to the Piazza del Quirinale, a lovely square (if you can have a round square) featuring a collection of recycled ancient remains hauled up from other parts of the city, statues of Castor and Pollux, an obelisk and a fountain formed from a huge bowl orginally in the Forum.