<P> The Roman Forum , also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( Italian : Foro Romano ) , is a rectangular forum ( plaza ) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome . Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space , originally a marketplace , as the Forum Magnum , or simply the Forum . </P>
what was the name of the large open space in the center of rome
Roman Forum