Foro Romano

In the Cortile di San Pantaleone in Catania lie the remains of an ancient structure that was long identified as a Roman forum. The complex originally consisted of several buildings surrounding a central open space and probably served as warehouses or shops. Historical descriptions from the sixteenth century mention numerous vaulted rooms, many of which were lost over time or converted into living quarters. Today only a few adjoining rooms to the south remain visible, including an entrance with an architrave and an arched opening, which recall the warehouses of Trajan's Forum. Remains of a wall of opus reticulatum have also survived. Nearby, the Monastery of Sant'Agostino preserved parts of a possible basilica, including walls and columns that were reinstalled elsewhere after the earthquake of 1693. A colossal torso of the Emperor Claudius, which also comes from this area, can now be admired in the Castello Ursino. Recent research, however, casts doubt on the identification as a forum and instead points to a function as horrea (warehouses).