These are the last days to see the recently discovered fragment of the dispersed 1800-year-old marble plan of Ancient Rome, exceptionally on display in the Sala Paladino at Museo dell’Ara Pacis, together with other pieces, which once probably belonged to the same slab n. 31 of the Forma Urbis Romae.

The Forma Urbis Romae, also referred to as the Severan Forma Urbis, was a large architectural plan of Ancient Rome, carved on 150 marble slabs at the times of Septimius Severus, perhaps in substitution of an older one, and hung on the still visible wall of the aula at the Forum Pacis, which was then incorporated in the complex of the basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano.

Found on the occasion of the restoration works performed on Palazzo Maffei Marescotti in the latest years, the Vatican fragment is a precious addition to the still incomplete panorama of Ancient Roman topography.
This discovery fosters a more thorough historical-archaeological study of the monumental area near the Theatre of Marcellus and the Porticus Octaviae, as it looked like in Antiquity. It’s a great emotion realizing how perfectly the Vatican fragment fits into the original context of the plan, finally completing the inscription “Circus Flaminius” with the adjacent left piece of this old “marble puzzle”.
Opening time: Daily, 9.30 am - 7.30 pm; 24 and 31 December, 9.30 am - 2.00 pm; 1 January, 1 May, 25 December, closed; last admission 1 hour before closing time. Check the notice page for temporary changes.
Until: 17 March 2016
Tickets: 6.50 € - 10.50 €
Organization: Musei in Comune
Digital Forma Urbis Romae Project by Stanford University curates an online database of the 1186 surviving fragments of the Forma Urbis Romae (10%-15% of the original extension), digitized with the aim of developing matching algorithms and easing the analysis of the map.
