Emporium

The Emporium was an ancient port on the left bank of the Tiber with a 500-meter quay paved in travertine slabs. Behind the quay stretched two rows of warehouses for incoming goods.

The port was built in 193 BC by censors Lucius Aemilius Lepidus and Lucius Aemilius Paulus. It replaced the Forum Boarium, which could no longer handle the growing trade traffic.

The name comes from the Latin term for a commercial landing place where goods were loaded and unloaded. Large storage buildings stood beside the quay, holding grain, oil and wine before distribution into the city.

The remains along Lungotevere Testaccio are visible from outside, but the site itself can only be entered on guided tours. Tours run when demand is sufficient and are organized by local cultural associations.

Broken amphorae were dumped at the same spot for centuries until Monte Testaccio formed, an artificial hill made of roughly 25 million shards. Today this hill is a landmark of the neighborhood and shows the scale of ancient trade.