Ostia Antica

The ancient city of Ostia Antica is something of a secret in Italy, being overshadowed by the city of Pompeii. But this city is not less impressive, or expansive, and it is less crowded.

It is not a difficult place to find, and is only a few minutes from Rome's Fiumicino Airport, making it an ideal first stop when visiting the country. The entrance leads down a wide lane, riddled with grooves from ancient wagon wheels. The first area is is the roman necropolis, the region of crypts customarily placed a distance from town. Beyond the this area is an open market area, with buildings, which were, if I understand the translations from the information I got online, warehouses. This area has many interesting geometric mosaics on the floors.

Beyond this area we came to the large bath complex on the right side of the road. It is possible to go down some of the side streets, and catch glimpses of the closed off interior. Returning to the main road, we climbed some steep steps to the top of one building, to over look the large mosaic floor of on area of the baths.

Behind the baths is the barracks for the soldiers, who were also the city's firemen. It consists of a courtyard, with many smaller rooms opening onto it, and there is only one way in or out. From here we took a detour behind the ruins to the tree lined modern road to the snack area, so we could take a quick pit stop. We returned back to the ruins, heading towards the amphitheatre. In front of this structure, there is a small temple, and before the temple is the ancient market.

The market area is essentially a rectangular shaped open air shopping mall. Each small store had a mosaic on its floor, and often a mosaic on the sidewalk in front, naming the business and
advertising their wares. It is a unique and interesting feature of Ostia Antica. Not all of the mosaics today represent their historical pattern, as they were restored in a time when archaeology wasn't quite as exacting as it is today, which is to say, they made up some pictures using the ancient mosaic stones.

The Amphitheater is beautiful and well preserved. At the time of our visit, the area of the original stage had been covered and outfitted for a modern performance. The seating area is fully accessible, and we climbed up to the very top, where the ancient nobility would have sat.

The amphitheater is a semi circle, with the main entrance a single large archway through the middle. There are 2 additional entrances in the form of stairways with climb the back, or outside, of the amphitheater on either side of the main entrance.

There is a good deal more to this city, but as this was our first day, we were just too tired to continue. But from what I saw, I know that I will return next time I visit Rome, to finish exploring the incredible place. This is an A+