Get a feel for everyday life at Ostia Antica, an ancient port town-turned outdoor museum.
Forget attempting the punishing trip to Pompeii during your Rome stay, and do a comfortable day-trip to the ancient port of Ostia Antica instead – just as good a site for getting a feel for everyday life in a working Roman town.
Legend says that Ostia was founded by Ancus Martius, the fourth king of Rome, in the second half of the seventh century BC, although the oldest remains date ‘only’ from c330 BC. Ostia was Rome’s main port for over 600 years, until its decline in the fourth century AD. Abandoned after sackings by barbarians in the fiffth century, the town was gradually buried by river mud.
Admission gives you access to the remains below, and the Museum; ideally, visit on a sunny weekday.
