Exhibition: A piece of the Eternal City on the Vistula

In the second century AD, the Roman Emperor Trajan used the spoils of his conquest of Dacia to finance the construction of a monumental forum. At the same time, he built a market close by that was designed as both a commercial and administrative center.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire the market was forgotten until about the 15th century, and it was not until the 20th century that archaeologists managed to uncover the Roman-era market, which was hidden under centuries of dirt and debris. Now, an exhibition at Warsaw's National Archaeological Museum, "Trajan's Market in Rome," aims to give Poles a glimpse into Roman life.

Prepared by the Italian Cultural Institute in cooperation with the museum, the display consists of three parts. The main one is a series of photographs by Luigi Filetici, which shows Trajan's Market from perspectives that ordinary tourists visiting the real thing don't get to see.

The second part consists of a film chronicling the history of the place - from the days of its construction, through the centuries when it was a fortified district, a residence for aristocracy, a monastery, barracks and ordinary houses, to the 1930s when it was rediscovered.

The last section is a reconstruction of the marble frieze from the Colossus Room at the Forum of Augustus. The frieze is reconstructed on the basis of 15 pieces of the original and presents girls carrying festoons of fruit.

The exhibition runs until February 28.

For more information, visit http://www.pma.pl/ or call +48 (022) 831 32 21