Research into the vast subject of the forum, conducted by several generations of antiquarians, then historians and archaeologists, has gradually renewed our knowledge and understanding of this space. As a functional and symbolic architectural ensemble, the forum is essential in institutional, political, economic and religious terms.
Fora display wide architectural diversity, although with a structural and functional recurrence. It is this elaborate and thoughtful sequence bringing together all the elements of civic and cultural life that needs to be studied in depth. Understanding how the forum spread and became established, and identifying its architectural and symbolic characteristics, are all elements that can fuel the debate on Romanization, by examining the profound nature of the relationships between the Roman provinces and Rome. Paradoxically, despite their fundamental roles, the degree of knowledge and quality of data on these monumental complexes are highly variable. Although research and studies devoted to specific buildings in these spaces have become more widespread in recent years, the forum remains the subject of interrogations regarding its identification, composition, and even its evolution.
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