Arriving from Rome, get off at Ostia Antica station, a couple of miles from the beach area. From 08.30. Closing time varies according to the season. Admission:Euros 6.50.
Originally a colony of Rome, Ostia grew to become the major port of the city. It was situated on the mouth of the Tiber, the word Ostia meaning mouth. The town's growth started in the late Republic, but expanded rapidly under the Emperors Claudius and Trajan. The town was deserted after Rome's fall in 476 AD, and the buildings fell into ruins which were in turn covered by sand and mud from the Tiber, preserving them. The ancient town remained farmland until excavations took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and now most of the old town is uncovered, giving the visitor an idea of what life was like in an Ancient Roman commercial town during the height of the Empire. The ruins are similar to those in Pompeii, but there are no wealthy houses in Ostia. Note that the archaeological site is vast, with plenty to see to occupy a full day. You will need to wear good footwear.
In Ostia Antica, you should buy a guide book from the ticket office when you enter. Without a guide book, you will see lumps of stone everywhere. With a guide book, you will understand what buildings stood where those lumps of stone now lie. On your tour look out for:
The Forum, with its Capitol. The Temple's podium is still in place, as are the walls of the cellar where the cult statues were kept. You get an appreciation of how huge Roman temples were.
The Piazza of the Corporations, behind the theatre, preserves the offices of trade guilds or merchants from various parts of the world, each office identified by its mosiac floor.
Ostia is famous for the ancient apartment buildings that are very well preserved. The town's population were poor dock workers living in large apartment buildings. These buildings can be explored to one storey in height, with narrow stairways and corridors leading to small rooms. There are also the remains of more wealthy houses, such as the House of Cupid and Pysche, with very rich marble decorations. You get a real feel for how these people lived 2,000 years ago.
The small museum contains the main finds from the excavations, ranging from cult statues to small bits of sculpture.
Near the arena
The ancient warehouses and docks. These are well preserved and look very much like those of the 19th century. The ancient kerbs and pavement is still in place as they are in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Visit the two Baths with their beautiful and famous mosaic floors.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Ostia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Ostia - updated Apr 2024
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Ostia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
