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If you’ve already done some reading for your trip to Rome, you’ve propbably heard of Ostia Antica, one of the biggest and most important archaeological areas in Rome. Ostia (”ostium” is Latin for the mouth of a river, the point where it reaches the sea) was an ancient port, a lively and active center of commerce and sea transport and, as such, of vital importance to the Rome which was one of the biggest metropolis in the world at the time and therefore needed to import huge amounts of food and all sorts of merchandise imaginable.

The city of Ostia is proved to have been in existence as early as the 6th century B.C., and there are signs of civilization in the area even earlier than that. The golden age of Ostia was during the emperor Hadrian, when it could count more than 100.00 inhabitants! Being an important port, Ostia had a character typical of all the places frequently visited by sailors: it was crowded with all kinds of bars and tavernas for food, drink and fun as well as places to stay for the night. It also had several spa establishments, which offered experiences relax to the well-off business men of the place as well as to sailors off-duty. And naturally prostitution was as common as you can imagine in this atmosphere.

During your visit in Rome, you definitely should not miss Ostia Antica: for anybody interested in the past, it offers a huge area to explore with a wonderful wealth of archeaological material. And on a beautiful sunny day the place itself is just wonderful to spend some time in the middle of green trees, breathing in the fresh breeze from the sea. Besides, getting there is really simple: there’s a train from the Piramide line-B metro station towards Lido di Ostia, leaving about every 15 minutes. In less than 30 minutes you’re at the stop of Ostia Antica, where you just follow the signs for a couple of minutes walk to the entrance of the archaeological area. Of course, if you’re feeling lazy, you can always book a bus tour.

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