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ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF OSTIA ANTICA

The Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica is today one of the largest and most important archaeological areas in Italy

As its name (from ostium, "mouth") tells us, the ancient city of Ostia owes its existence to the proximity of the Tiber and the sea . Once, in fact, before the ruinous flood of 1557, the course of the river was very different from the current one and skirted the north side of the town, while now it only touches a short stretch to the west. Even the sea, in ancient times, was closer than today.

According to tradition, the king of Rome Anco Marzio founded Ostia in 620 BC to exploit the salt pans at the mouth of the Tiber. However, the oldest remains known so far are later, i.e. from the second half of the 4th century BC: they are the ruins of a fortified structure ( castrum ) in blocks of tufa, built by Roman colonists to defend the mouth of the Tiber and the Lazio coast

With the dominance of Rome over the Mediterranean (2nd century BC), Ostia lost its military function to become, as a river port, the main mercantile emporium of the capital.

At the end of the Republican age, Ostia was already a prosperous commercial center surrounded by walls in which the entrances to the inhabited center opened, conventionally known as Porta Romana , Porta Laurentina and Porta Marina . Outside, along the Ostiense and Laurentina streets, the necropolises for the inhabitants of the colony extended and, in front of the ancient beach, stood the sepulchral monuments of the richest and most powerful personalities.

In the 2nd century AD, Ostia became increasingly prosperous and populous (some estimates speak of 50,000 inhabitants ), and hosted many economic and commercial activities linked to the nearby Imperial Ports of Claudius and Trajan . The arrangement of the Forum and the construction of the baths, horrea (grain deposits), scholae (seats for professional associations), insulae (large rental blocks) and the Capitolium (main temple of the city) date back to this period.

From the middle of the 3rd century AD, many commercial activities were transferred to Porto and from literary sources we learn that Ostia, in the middle of the 6th century AD, appeared abandoned and isolated, as the navigation of the river was full of obstacles and the via Ostiense had grown wild.

The archaeological area of Ostia Antica is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays.

Opening hours: 8.30 am

Closing time:

  • from 25 October to 28 (or 29) February: last entry 3.30pm with exit 4.30pm;
  • from March 1st to March 31st: last entry at 4.15pm with exit at 5.15pm;
  • from 1st April to 30th September: last entry at 6.00pm, exit at 7.00pm;
  • from 1st October to 24th October: last entry 5.30pm, exit 6.30pm.

The Ticket Office closes one hour before the time indicated. The Ostiense Museum is temporarily closed.

The site is closed on Mondays , December 25th .

Open to the public on public holidays falling on Mondays (18 and 25 April, 15 August, 26 December 2022) and consequent postponement of the weekly closing day to Tuesday (19 and 26 April, 16 August).

For information and in case of need:

tel.: 06 56358036 - Website: https://parcoarcheologicostiantica.it


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