Mercati di Traiano & Museo dei Fori Imperiali is a striking new museum that brings to life Trajan’s great 2nd-century market complex. It provides a fascinating introduction to the Imperial Forums with detailed explanatory panels and a smattering of archaeological artefacts. However, the museum’s real highlight is the access it gives to Trajan’s Forum. From the main hallway, a lift whisks you up to the Torre delle Milizie (Militia Tower), a 13th-century red-brick tower, and the upper levels of the Mercati di Traiano (Trajan’s Markets). These markets, housed in a three-storey semicircular construction, were Trajan’s frenetic commercial precinct, with hundreds of traders selling everything from oil and vegetables to flowers, silks and spices.