A quiet spot on the outskirts of a metropolis
Rome is not too far, but in Ostia Antica it is sufficient to enter the walls of the Old Burgh and one finds oneself back in ages past.
After parking alongside the walls, or in the parking area of the "Scavi", and entering the main entrance of the Burgh, we find ourselves in the interior of the old part where we can see three rows of terrace houses with numerous marble frangments of the Roman period, even a funerary altar, re-used and incorporated in the walls of the buildings.
In Piazza della Rocca, an old fountain is shadowed from the branches of a wheeping widow tree, in front of us we see the Church of St. Aurea, an old Cathedral built on St. Monica (mother of St. Augustine) burial's spot, and the Episcopal Palace where interesting frescoes attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi are kept, and on the right we can see the Castle, from the top of which we can overlook the Scavi of the ancient town.
The visit of the Castle is particularly interesting, since the whole complex is built on a perimeter system of casemates (firing chambers so called because the soldiers who were kept in these tiny rooms were going crazy by the high rumours of shots fired) that connect three towers, and it is a good example of Renaissance military architecture. There are also residential areas and a very interesting monumental staircase, decorated with polychrome frescoes executed by artists of the Baldassarre Peruzzi school, which allowed horses to reach the upper floors. The primary function of the Castle was to control and defend the Tiber, which course influenced its triangular plan. The Tiber also influenced its decline, when consequently after the 1557 flood, the river's course shifted northwards and the Castle was abandoned, and later on used for other purposes, such as housing the forced labour employed in the nearby excavations of the ancient Roman town. In fact, inside some rooms inscriptions of the prisoners are visible.At the end of this visit we can turn to the Scavi, totally worth our attention: It is the vast area of ruins of the ancient town which once made up the principal port of Rome. Ostia was founded in the 4th century BC at the mouth of the Tiber and was the military and commercial port of Rome, harbored the Roman fleet, and was the centre for Rome's food supplies. It did not suffer many damages and its impressive remains today offer a precious documentation on the public and private buildings, and on the life of a big Roman town which entered a decline when commercial activity diminished, due to the transfer of the capital to Costantinopoli, and the barbarians' invasions begun. After entering, the main road (Decumano Massimo) runs through the middle of the city from Porta Romana to Porta Marina, and one can visit many interesting places: the Theater (still used in summertime for classical plays), the Piazzale delle Corporazioni that housed the offices of Ostia's commercial associations with mosaic floors outside each store, the Caserma dei Vigili, the Baths of Neptune with marine mosaics, the Capitol and Forum, the Domus della Fortuna Annonaria, the Warehouses (horrea), etc. There is also a Musem, where articles found at Ostia during the excavations, are displayed.
Only the visit to the archeological complex merits the better part of a day and even more. If one still has time, two other spots worth seeing are close by: the Necropolis of the Isola Sacra (Necropoli Antica dell'Isola Sacra) and the Roman Ship Museum (Museo delle Navi).
The Necropolis of the Isola Sacra is 2 miles north of the excavations, towards Fiumicino Airport. Take Via della Scafa then turn right into Via Cima Cristallo. After 200 hundred meters, the Necropolis is on the left of the access road. It is an impressive place, isolated and silent, and consists of tombs of every sort. The simplest are marked by an amphora, others are built of brick with one or more chambers, with a low door carrying an inscription on the top. Generally the inscription gave the name of the deceased person and eventually information about his occupation during life. Recently, this spot has been restored.
The Roman Ship Museum is located at the interior of Fiumicino Airport. It houses the remains of five vessels uncovered in the late 50s during the building of the airport. Four are vessels which were used for transporting goods from the Port along the Tiber to Rome, one is a fishing boat and others are fragments of other ships. Very interesting is the fishing boat, with a central wooden container with holes for keeping fish alive.
Practical information:
Ostia Antica Castle: P.le della Rocca. From 9.00 to 13.00. Tuesday and Thursday from 9.00 to 16.30. Closed Monday. Free entrance.
Scavi of Ostia Antica: Via dei Romagnoli 717. Winter timetable: 9-17, Summer timetable: 9-18. Closed Monday. Entrance fee: Lit. 8.000. Parking facilities available.
Necropolis of the Isola Sacra: Via Cima Cristallo. Isola Sacra. Same timetable and day of closure as the Scavi. Free entrance. Parking facilities available.
Roman Ship Museum: Via Guidoni, 35, Fiumicino Airport. From 9.00 to 13.30. Tuesday and Thursday also from 14.30 to 16.30. Closed Monday. Entrance fee: Lit. 4.000. Parking facilities available.
Translated from the original Italian by the author