THE FORUM
Roman Forum in Zadar
Located in front of the church of Saint Donat and the Archbishop's Palace,
the Forum is a municipal square from the Roman era, built from the 1st century
BC to the 3rd century AD. Roman Forum in Zadar is the largest on the eastern
side of the Adriatic, founded by the first Roman Emperor Augustus, as shown by
two stone inscriptions about its completion dating from the 3rd century.
The forum is the name given to all main squares in the cities of the ancient
Roman Empire, where the public life of the city unfolded. In addition to its
standard function as a marketplace, a forum was a gathering place of great
social significance, and often the scene of diverse activities, including
political discussions and debates, rendezvous, meetings, et cetera.
There was initially an about 2 metre high capitol on its south-western section,
in the midst of which a temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva rises,
while a monumental pillar is preserved to its north-western side, used in the
Middle Ages as a "Pillar of Shame". The Forum in Zadar represents a very
developed example of the forum complex, and is one of the most important among
the Adriatic ancient cities.
