031 i mercati di traiano

Last Friday was the 10-year reunion from the 1996 ARC Course here at ICCROM. I didn't know what to expect, but I thought it would be a good idea to get some further background on what the courses here are like, since I'm starting one from scratch.

There were about 16 participants from all over the world, mostly architects, but also archeologists, urban planners, and straight-up conservators. Each one got to make a presentation about their projects over the last ten years and it was fascinating! On Saturday, I went on the World Tour with them to (1) Mercati di Traiano (i.e. Trajan's Markets), (2) Ara Pacis, and (3) Auditorium.


I Mercati di Traiano begin on Via Nazionale on top of a hill and then a series of structures terrace down the hill. This photo (above) is the main space. A restoration project is currently underway for structural strengthening, so it is now closed to the public. It's a little disturbing that all buildings, no matter how old or historic, must be brought up to the same level of seismic design as new buildings, so part of the structural strengthening is a series of stainless steel rods that go completely through each structural bay of the basilica-type structure.



Sono qui! (above), & a view of Trajan's Market (below).



I'll write more later about the Ara Pacis & Auditorium - both very interesting.