Foro di Praeneste

The Forum of Praeneste preserves the civic centre of ancient Palestrina beneath the city's main square. Its monumental complex includes a basilica, public treasury, portico, mosaic halls and a fountain building decorated with a polychrome fish mosaic.

Why it matters

The forum took monumental form in the late second century BC and remains connected to the modern civic centre. Its buildings reveal the political, commercial and religious life of Praeneste. Nearby, the ancient Temple of Jupiter was incorporated into the cathedral of Sant'Agapito, linking the Roman quarter with the medieval city.

What to notice

The surviving paving marks the central public space. The Erario, or treasury, stood among the complex's civic buildings. The Aula Absidata preserves second-century-BC mosaic floors, while the Ninfeo dei Pesci retains a colourful border of fish in tesserae. The ancient temple of Jupiter lies within the cathedral fabric at the edge of the forum. The nearby antro delle sorti is traditionally associated with the drawing of lots connected to Fortuna.

Context and history

The late-Republican forum complex included a basilica, portico, treasury and monumental halls. The cathedral was built in 1117, incorporating the remains of the Temple of Jupiter. The bishop's palace facing the square later became a seminary and is now part of the archaeological complex. In this quarter, Palestrina's Roman civic structures and medieval religious buildings occupy the same urban fabric.