The remains of ancient Rome were pillaged for building stone through the middle ages and the Renaissance and suffered further when the Fascists of the 20th Century cleared 16th Century structures and leveled the Velian Hill to build this road for military parades. It connects the Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum. On Sundays the cobblestones of the Via dei Fori Imperiali are open for pedestrians and a few horse-drawn carriages.