A bird’s eye view of the Forum Holitorium (or Olitorium). The Forum Holitorium was used as a vegetable market.















When visitors left the Forum Boarium to walk towards the Forum Holitorium, they met just before going through the Porta Carmenta, a small complex of temples with a square and several altars. Left, the temple of Fortune and right the the temple of Mater Matuta. Between these stood an unusual monument, a triumphal gate surmounted by a small temple. It is at this place, along the forum Holitorium, that stood the famous Elephas herbarius, a pedestal surmounted by a statue of an elephant.







The porta Carmenta (or Porta Carmentalis) belongs to the ancient gates of the Servian Wall.


















The Lactaria Column (in connection with milk) had a particular meaning. It seems that one used to bring there the children, whom one wished to feed with milk.









As soon as you had gone trough the Porta Carmenta, the Forum Holitorium became broader, to form a large square that allowed an easier access to the great Theatre of Marcellus. Three temples from the Republican period, standing next to each other, gave a more solemn aspect to the Forum. The upper one, almost against the Theatre is the temple of Janus, the middle one is the temple of Juno Sospita the smallest at the bottom is the temple of Spes (of Hope).