The Fora Venalia: Ancient Rome’s Outdoor Mall

It’s Saturn-day in the Roman Republic. You leave your Palatine Hill domus, along with several house slaves, to shop for your upcoming banquet. You want to purchase some moon cakes, sausages, and flamingo tongues. And some cabbages and carrots, and fresh loaves of emmer wheat. Perhaps a basket for two of fresh oysters. And while you’re out, you may purchase some pigs or cattle for your Sabine Hills villa, along with a new plow. Where do you go for all this? One place — or rather a collected series of places — the Fora Venalia.

Located on the banks of the Tiber River, the Fora Venalia was a series of focused forums. Each forum venalium was a collection of stalls for particular foodstuffs and goods: cattle (Forum Boarium), pigs and pork (Forum Suarium), seafood (Forum Piscarium), vegetables (Forum Holitorium), and bread (Forum Pistorium). There were also shops for barbers, iron goods, clothing, and wine.

It’s not hard to picture a Roman family spending an entire afternoon “at the mall.” Walking along the Tiber and poking through all the shops. Trudging back through the Porta Carmentalis when the kids became tired.

As Rome grew from Republic to Empire, many of the fora were displaced by growth (sound familiar?). New temples, government buildings, and homes sprouted up. But, for a time, ancient Rome had its own “mall” at the Fora Venalia.