The rooms behind the north portico
It is first of all surprising that apparently nothing of interest was found in the rooms in the north-west and north-east corner of the square: two rooms to the north of statio 23, and two to the north of 39. Not one excavator has mentioned these rooms. Today the floors are covered with grass.
On the north side many walls can be seen (heavily restored), before the excavation ends with a slope leading to the modern road. A dominant feature on the east half of the north side is a large semicircle, opening up towards the north (presumably; the northern continuation has not been excavated). Surprisingly, there is a brick column on the rear wall of the northern porticus (the rear wall of the western room to the north of statio 23). It is not in line with the Claudian and Hadrianic brick columns. There seems to have been a staircase leading north passing through the rear wall of statio 28.
- Photos of the east half of the area to the north (the photos were taken in 2019 by Gerard Huissen):
- East half of the area to the north (from the west)
- East half of the area to the north (from the west)
- Rooms to the north of statio 23 (from the north-east)
- Rooms to the north of statio 23 (from the north-east)
- Rooms to the north of statio 23 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of statio 23 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 23-24 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 23-24-25 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 24-25-26 (from the north-east)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 24-25-26 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 25-26-27 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 26-27-28 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 27-28-29 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 28-29-30 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 29-30-31 (from the north-east)
Most of the remains of the west half of the north side are not depicted on Gismondi's plan. The eastern part of this half consists of a maze of small rooms, the western half of a row of larger rooms. There seem to have been passages to the north, passing through the back walls of stationes 32, 38, and 39.
- Photos of the west half of the area to the north:
- West half of the area to the north (from the north-east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the north-east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the north-east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the north-east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the east)
- West half of the area to the north (from the west)
- Rooms to the north of statio 32 (from the south)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 32-33-34 (from the north-west)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 36-37 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 36-37-38 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of stationes 37-38 (from the north-west)
- Rooms to the north of statio 39 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of statio 39 (from the north)
- Rooms to the north of statio 39 (from the west)
- Rooms to the north of statio 39 (from the south-west)
The rooms behind the west portico
To the south-west of the square is the Domus di Apuleio (II,VIII,5), dated in its present form to the second half of the second century (opus mixtum). The area to the north has not been excavated. It has been said that baths are located here.[1] Gismondi's plan does not show any doors connecting the square with this area.
All that has been excavated here are a few long walls, running parallel to the outer west wall of the square, leaving a narrow space, and the beginning of side walls. In this space is a series of masonry piers, set against or forming an entity (to be checked) with the west wall of the square. Behind statio 59, at some distance, is a west-east running staircase. Against the back wall of statio 54 an aedicula was set. In 1993 two mosaics with geometric designs were recorded behind stationes 47 and 48, in rooms to the west of the narrow space.
- Photos:
- Western porticus (from the north)
- Western porticus (from the north)
- Western porticus (from the south)
- Western porticus (from the south)
- Rooms to the west of stationes 46-47 (from the west)
- Rooms to the west of stationes 51-57 (from the west)
- Rooms to the west of stationes 54-59 (from the north-west)
- Rooms to the west of stationes 58-59-60 (from the west)
- Rooms to the west of statio 59 (from the east)
- Rooms to the west of statio 59 (from the north)
- Aedicula behind statio 54, and narrow space to the north, with mosaics behind stationes 47 and 48 (NADIS 10766; 1993) (north is to the right)
To the south of these rooms is the room in which the Altar of the Origins of Rome was found.
(1) This is stated in a recent discussion of the location of the Forum Vinarium: Pellegrino-Licordari 2018. In the 2020's excavations of this area were begun.