Ostia Antica

Tuesday, December 19

Today we went to Ostia Antica.  In ancient times Ostia was the main seaport for the ancient city of Rome and was found at the confluence of the Tiber River and the Mediterranean Sea.  Today Ostia is a modern city which serves as a beach resort for the metropolitan area of Rome.  Because of silting the landscape has changed over the centuries.  Ostia Antica can now be found about half a mile from the Tiber River and about two miles from the sea.  Ostia, whose name derives from the latin for ‘mouth’, originally sat at the mouth of the river.

The excavations cover an enormous area of about 125 acres.  Original construction on the site is dated well before the sixth century B.C.  During Rome’s imperial period the city was enlarged and fortified several times most notably by the Emperors Augustus and Trajen.

The trip from our apartment took about an hour.  We took a bus to a train station in the nearby village of Ostiense.  From there we took a train to the village of Ostia Antica.  The park was a five minute walk from the station.

At the ticket office we received maps of the area and audio guides.  The guides contained detailed information on over 50 sites within the park as well as directions on how to get from point A to point B.  The day was bright and sunny and the temperature was in the low 50s.  We decided it was a lovely day for a walk.

We toured for over six hours and saw just about the entire park.  Here are a few of the things we liked best…

1. The city contained over 20 separate bathhouses.  Many of the mosaic floors from the pools are visible.  Most of them contained intricate designs featuring nautical themes.
2. The amphitheater was built by Marcus Agrippa (right hand man of Emperor Augustus) in the first century B.C.  The structure has been fully excavated and somewhat restored.  In the summer time the space is used for concerts, plays and exhibitions.
3. The area around the amphitheater is a beautiful park with an ancient temple.  All around the perimeter are shops from various guilds.  These were the businesses that built the city, managed the ships, warehoused the goods, etc.  Each shop had a mosaic floor that depicted its trade.  Those floors are clearly visible today.
4. One of the most famous architects of the day created an insula (apartment complex) that would not be out of place in today’s world.  You enter the complex through a gate and inside you see a large common park like area.  All around the perimeter is a series of multi-story apartment buildings.  The apartments had standardized layouts and featured natural lighting in most rooms.
5. Many other ‘insula’ exist.  Stairs to the upper floors are available and provide panoramic views of the area.
6. Unfortunately very few frescos have been salvaged but many sculptures have been found and most can be seen in the nearby museum (it’s part of the park and included in the price of entry).

Distance walked: 9.1 miles and 14 flights of stairs.

(Amphitheater)

(View from the top of the amphitheater.  Notice the park in the middle and the guilds all around.)

(The mosaic floor from the Shipwrights guild)

(Mosaic floor from one of the baths)