Italy Guide
Lazio
Ostia Antica
Opening time: April– Oct Tues– Sun 8.30am–6pm; March 8.30am–5pm; Nov– Feb 8.30am–4pm
Price: €6.50
There are two Ostias: one a rather over-visited seaside resort, Lido di Ostia; the other, one of the finest ancient Roman sites – the excavations of OSTIA ANTICA – which are on a par with anything you'll see in Rome itself and easily merit the half-day journey out. The stop before Lido di Ostia on the train from Rome, the site of Ostia Antica marked the coastline in classical times, and the town which grew up here was the port of ancient Rome, a thriving place whose commercial activities were vital to the city further upstream. The excavations are relatively free of tourists, and it's much easier to reconstruct a Roman town from these than from any amount of pottering around the Forum. It's also very spread out, so be prepared for a fair amount of walking.
The main street, the Decumanus Maximus, leads west from the entrance, past the Baths of Neptune on the right (where there's an interesting mosaic) to the town's commercial centre, otherwise known as the Piazzale delle Corporazioni. Flanking one side of the square, the theatre has been much restored but is nonetheless impressive, enlarged by Septimius Severus in the second century AD to hold up to 4000 people. On the left of the square, the House of Apulius preserves mosaic floors and, beyond, a dark-aisled mithraeum has more mosaics illustrating the cult's practices. North of the Casa di Diana, the museum (Tues– Sat 9am–4.30pm, Sun 9am–1pm; entry with ticket for the excavations) holds a variety of articles from the site, including a statue of Mithras killing a bull, wall paintings depicting domestic life in Ostia, and some fine sarcophagi and statuary from the imperial period.