If you want to whet your appetite for exploring ancient Roman life and are looking for an excursion that is easily accessible by public transport near Rome, you don’t need to look any further than Ostia Antica —  the once bustling seaport for the ancient empire.   Ostia Antica Archeological Park is an easy day trip from Rome, yet it offers a sense of history to rival sites further afield in Pompeii or Herculaneum.

Ostia Antica vs Pompeii

If you are strapped for time and have to decide between visiting Pompeii or Ostia Antica from Rome, here are some things to consider:

• Ostia Antica lies about 17 miles (27 km) from the heart of Rome and you can easily get there in under 90 minutes via public transport.  Pompeii is about 150 miles (240 km) away, requiring at least four hours of travel (with multiple train transfers).   Traveling to Pompeii from Rome requires a more expensive intercity train ticket to Naples and then switching over to the slower Circumvesuviana regional train (which is a cultural experience unto itself).  Pompeii, as well as the trains to Pompeii, are much more crowded with both local commuters and tourists.  Both sites are oppressively hot during the popular summer months, but Ostia has some shade.
• Ostia Antica was a thriving commercial center with a population of about 100,000 people.  It can be argued that Ostia provides a more expansive glimpse at Roman lifestyles as you can see mansions, baths, multi-story apartments, docks, warehouses, etc.  This is not to say Pompeii isn’t magnificent, it is.  It also had plenty of mansions, baths, and temples, but it was a wealthy resort city of about 11,000 inhabitants far from Rome.

• Ostia is relatively well-preserved as it was gradually abandoned and then lost for centuries.  It was sacked at the end of the Roman empire.  Marble from Ostia even ended up being reused to build the leaning tower of Pisa.  Pompeii on the other hand was suddenly destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and was covered up by volcanic ash several meters thick.  It remained lost, and thus unlooted for over 1500 years.  

Ostica Antica: An Easy Day Trip from Rome

Ostia, lies at the mouth (ostium) of the Tiber River, and according to historians was founded in the 7th century BC by Ancus Marcius, the legendary fourth king of Rome.  In the beginning, it was an important military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions.  Later, it became increasingly important as a commercial port as Rome burgeoning population had to be fed.  Grain was crucial to the stability of Rome.   Egypt, the breadbasket of the region at that time, sent 140,000 tons of grain a year to Rome during the reign of Augustus.  Within 50 years, the demand skyrocketed to 420,000 tons.

The coastline near Ostia was also low and sandy, unsuited for the bigger ships that were needed to supply Rome.  Larger cargo had to be unloaded in the port of Pozzuoli near Naples and then shipped in smaller boats to Ostia, warehoused there and then shipped via barges to Rome.  When the river port of Ostia and the seaport of Pozzuoli became insufficient, Emperor Claudius had a new port built 3 km north called Portus.  Ostia remained connected to Portus via one of the largest canals ever built by the Romans.

Ostia continued to flourish between the 1st and 3rd centuries during the height of the Roman Empire. However, it slowly lost it’s importance due to the growth of Portus and survived until the 9th century when it was finally abandoned due to malaria outbreaks.  By this time the harbor was silted up and the town was eventually buried in mud.

What to See

The road that connected Ostia to Rome was called the Via Ostiensis and it reached Ostia at the Porta Romana. The other end of Via Ostiensis is at the Porta San Paulo.  This is, in fact, the Piramide station where you board the train for Ostia.  In ancient times this was called Porta Ostiensis.

You start out at the necropolis, right at the entrance of the site.  Roman burial places were always placed outside the city walls.  They flank roads leading to the city gates, in this case Via Ostiensis.  You will notice niches for urns from the period when cremation was favored.  By the second century, inhumations (burials) became standard and you can see numerous tombs and sarcophagi.  They contain inscriptions revealing information on who is buried inside and some even have various curses for disturbing the individuals interred within.

After the necropolis, you walk up to Porta Romana. Here you can see what remains of the original inscription: “The Senate of Rome gave walls and gates to the colony of the Ostians; Cicero oversaw the construction as Consul; Clodius finished the work when he was Tribune of the people…” Porta Romana also served as a terminal point for the guild of the Cisiarii, two-wheeled carriage men who carried travelers between Rome and Ostia in about three hours.

Major Sites

The major sites are mostly off the main drag – Decumanus Maximus.  This was once colonnaded with arcades to protect residents from the elements.  You can identify buildings from the Republican and the Empire periods by their elevation.  The older Republican buildings are the ones you have to walk down to.  As you follow the Decumanus Maximus, notice the deep cart ruts left by carrucas, the four-wheeled carts used to ferry merchandise and baggage between Rome and Ostia.

Terme di Nettuno or Baths of Neptune: The Roman baths were built by Emperor Hadrian and inaugurated in 139 AD. It replaced a previous bath complex as well as warehouses that were no longer needed after the founding of Portus.  If you climb atop the viewpoint overlooking the Baths of Neptune, you will see the grand mosaic of Neptune riding four horses through the sea.

Teatro: The theatre was built at the end of the first century BC by Marcus Agrippa, Emperor Augustus’ son-in-law. It was later enlarged by the Emperors Commodus and Septimus Severus to hold up to 4,000 spectators.  The tiny stage is still intact but the back wall of the stage is long gone. The theatre itself has been partially reconstructed and hosts Latin plays during the summer. The walk to the top the theatre is not strenuous and you are rewarded with a commanding view overlooking the ancient town.

Piazzale delle Corporazioni: The Square of the Guilds, located directly behind the theatre was the commercial heart of Ostia.  It was built together with the theatre during the reign of Augustus. There is a temple in the center facing the theatre.  The square was lined with more than 60 offices of ship-owners and traders as seen in the famous mosaic references to trade, and to the cities and countries from which goods were transported to Rome.

Casa Diana: Along Via Casa di Diana is the House of Diana, named after a small terracotta relief portraying the goddess.  It was an insulae or multi-storied residential complex that had an internal courtyard with a fountain.  The wealthier residents lived in the lower floors and had balconies.

Thermopolium: The residential structures of ancient Ostia did not have kitchens.  Residents had to go to the bakers or to the thermopolium (tavern) for food. They could walk up to the bar or sit on benches.  You’ll see a small sink and shelves once used to display food and drinks for sale.  Food and beverages were painted on the walls to help customers make their orders.

Forum: Not unlike other Roman towns, the center of Ostia was the Forum where the main buildings of the town were located.  It is where Decumanus Maximus and Cardo Maximus, the two main streets, intersect.  The Capitolium was the main temple of the city and faces the Temple of Roma and Augustus. For centuries the high podium of the Capitolium was the only visible portion of the ancient city because everything else had been covered in mud once the city was abandoned.

The Synagogue: The synagogue in Ostia is the oldest synagogue in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. It was located outside the city walls and near the ancient coastline.  The main door of the synagogue faces the southeast towards Jerusalem.  The construction date to the time of Emperor Claudius in the first century AD and it was in use until the 5th century AD.  Though the synagogue seems like it was far from the main sites in Ostia, it was very much part of the city.  A significant portion of ancient Ostia has not been excavated as of yet and at its height, the city extended much further than the synagogue itself.

Opening Hours

Please note that the Ostia Antica Archeological Park site is closed on Mondays.  The site is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM depending on the season.  Entrance is free on the first Sunday of each month.  Be sure to wear comfortable footwear as there is a lot of walking on uneven surfaces.

Metro Directions

The easiest way to get to Ostia is via public transportation.  Take the Metro line B towards Laurentina, get off at the Piramide station and switch over to the Roma Lido commuter train heading towards Ostia Antica station.  A single use metro ticket (1.50 Euro) or any metro passes can be used.  To transfer at Piramide, walk towards the signs pointing towards Ferrovia Roma-Lido.  Upon getting off at the Ostia Antica station, you will need to take the blue over bridge crosswalk and continue along the signs pointing towards “Ostia Antica Entrata Scavi.”  It is a less than a 10-minute walk from the station to the ticket office.