Piazzale delle Corporazioni, Roman archaeological square in Ostia, Italy.
Piazzale delle Corporazioni is a columned courtyard in Ostia surrounded by merchant offices and porticoes. The space measures approximately 107 by 78 meters and features an intricate black and white mosaic floor that once served as a workspace for traders and shipowners.
The square was founded during the Augustan period and expanded under Emperor Claudius with modifications that reshaped its function. The double portico and initial mosaic floors were added during the second century CE.
The square served as the commercial heart of the port, with merchant house names still carved into the mosaics beneath your feet. You can spot which regions of the empire had trading posts here by observing the different symbols and inscriptions on the floor.
The square is best explored on foot, allowing you to examine the floor mosaics and inscriptions on the surrounding porticoes closely. Bring a guide or information material to help interpret the merchant names and trade symbols visible on the ground.
The mosaics reveal specific goods traded through the port, including grain from Sardinia, wine from Gaul, and animals from North Africa. These details offer a rare window into the actual trade routes and economic networks that connected the Roman world.
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