On the occasion of Museocity – Museosegreto 2025, it will be possible to access the remains of the Roman forum brought to light between 1990 and 1992 during an archaeological excavation campaign conducted beneath the ancient cellars of the Ambrosiana.
The site will be accessible for free upon online booking. Entrance will take place from Piazza Pio XI, corner of Via dell’Ambrosiana.
The opening is promoted by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Milan and by the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, in collaboration with the Associazione Museocity.
THE ROMAN FORUM OF MEDIOLANUM
Between 1990 and 1992, an archaeological excavation campaign conducted beneath the ancient cellars of the Ambrosiana brought to light a portion of the flooring of the ancient Roman forum, the heart of the political, economic and religious life of the ancient city of Mediolanum.
In fact, the curia (meeting place of the local Senate), the basilica (where justice was administered), the Capitolium (the temple dedicated to the Capitoline triad Jupiter, Juno and Minerva) and the tabernae (shops, workshops and restaurants) were located there.
These are Verona stone slabs of different size, arranged with a north-south or east-west orientation, without apparent regularity. In the portion of the excavations that can be visited today, below the current Fagnani and Custodi rooms of the Ambrosiana Library, one can identify the remains of a canal that allowed the drainage of water coming from the porticoes located on the long sides of the square, which must have measured approximately 55 x 166 metres.”
