Horrea Piperataria: Ancient Roman spice warehouses open to public at Forum

Starting December 21, the Horrea Piperataria, the imperial-era spice warehouses at the Roman Forum, will open to the public for the first time. The warehouses, built by Emperor Domitian, stored spices from Egypt, Arabia, and India. The opening follows a restoration and valorization project led by the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo (PArCo) and Sapienza University's Department of Ancient Sciences, part of the Velia Project launched in 2019. The site was first excavated in the late 19th century by Rodolfo Lanciani, with significant discoveries in 1915 by Maria Barosso. The warehouses were destroyed in a fire under Commodus, rebuilt under the Severan dynasty, and abandoned after a fire in 238 AD. The new visitor route includes a glass walkway over the excavation, immersive multimedia projections, and a new entrance on the ancient Carinae street, accessible to people with disabilities. Access requires a Forum Pass SUPER ticket, with guided tours limited to 10 people lasting 75 minutes (30 in the excavation, 45 for the multimedia show). The project also involved an international conference at the Curia Iulia in early December to review knowledge of Roman horrea (warehouses).