PIAZZA DEL FORO, Brescia, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Piazza del Foro is the old Roman forum of Brescia, the square at the centre of ancient Brixia. Today the Capitolium, a large temple from the first century AD, rises above the modern streets here. It is part of a UNESCO-listed archaeological area and the best place in the city to feel how Roman Brescia worked.

The story behind it

In Roman Brixia the forum was the middle of everything. Daily life moved between negotium, meaning business, and otium, meaning leisure. Goods changed hands, lawsuits were argued, and people stopped to talk or to play games. The Capitolium, the main temple overlooking the square, is dated to the time of the emperor Vespasian, around 73 AD, and it set the tone for the whole space.

Later centuries buried and built over much of the Roman city, and the temple and forum were only uncovered and studied properly in modern times. That is why the ancient columns now stand next to later streets and buildings.

The route creators point out a small detail left by ordinary Romans. At the foot of a column, low down on a stone slab, a grid of eight by eight squares is carved into the stone. It is a tabula lusoria, a gaming board, probably used for a Roman strategy game such as Ludus Latrunculorum. The rules of that game are not fully known today.

What to look for

• The front of the Capitolium, where the row of tall columns and the high podium show the scale of the temple.
• The carved game board near the base of a column, easy to miss unless you crouch and look closely at the stone slabs.
• The remains of the forum paving and the open space in front of the temple, which help you imagine the square full of traders and lawyers.
• The contrast between Roman stone and the later buildings around it, a good way to read the layers of the city.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the square and a slow look at the temple, longer if you go inside.
• Early morning or late afternoon gives softer light on the columns and fewer people.
• The Capitolium can be visited as part of the archaeological area, so check current opening hours before you go.
• The Roman Theatre and the Santa Giulia museum complex are a short walk away, so the square fits easily into a wider day of sightseeing.

See it on a quest

The square is one stop on Brescia: Quest for the Laurel Crown, a self-guided walk through the streets of the city. You reach the forum on foot as part of a longer route, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle right in front of the ruins, so you look at the stones more carefully than a quick photo allows. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set time.