Identification This fragment joins with fr. 552a (PM 1960, p. 149). The join with the larger piece identifies the space in front of the arcade in this fragment as a wide street that is flanked on both sides by arcades and tabernae. This fragment demonstrates that the shops on the right side of the street are almost twice the size of those on the left. Rows of tabernae are ubiquitous on the Plan, and the type depicted here are of the most common type seen on the FUR. Each shop consisted of a single room with a wide opening towards the street that could be screened off at night. The owners may have resided with their families on a wooden platform in the back of the shop. The luxury of having a covered sidewalk or portico in front of a row of shops was apparently not restricted to such grandiose areas as the slopes of the Palatine, facing the Circus Maximus (see fr. 8bde). Frs. 33abc, 34a, 34b and 34c depict a large, predominantly commercial area by the Tiber which abounds with rows of tabernae and arcades. These covered arcades or porticos signify that there was a second storey or a mezzanine level above the shops, which would have provided the shop owners with additional living room (Reynolds 1996, p. 158). The joining fr. 552a shows a slight curve of the street and a stepped ramp; these indicate that the joining fragments belong to a somewhat hilly section of the city. The width of the street and the fact that it was lined on both sides suggest that it was one of Rome's major thoroughfares.

Significance This fragment is a classic example of non-identified fragments of the Plan. No monumental buildings are depicted, and the fragment instead provides a view of the equally important, but lesser known commercial and residential structures.

Text by Tina Najbjerg