Guided tour of Ancient Ostia

The guided tour of Ostia Antica is based on a selection of areas and buildings of the archaeological site that best illustrate the daily life of the city: the theater, the baths, the domus and insulae, the forum etc.The guided tour of Ostia Antica will start from the Necropolis of the ancient city where there are the most important funerary monuments that flank the ancient Via Ostiense, up to the city walls where the Roman Gate opens. Once in the city, we will follow the Decumanus Massimus, the main road of Ostia; an avenue 9 meters wide flanked by imposing arcades.Along this road there are the most important and grandiose public buildings of the city such as the Baths of Neptune that preserve the largest mosaic of Ostia and the Theatre, the archaeological jewel of the excavations of Ostia. It is still possible to observe the steps raised on imposing arches, the stage with the orchestra and three beautiful marble masks that reproduce those used by the actors. Along the way we will also discover the city’s residential buildings such as the domus, the rich patrician residences and insulae, the appartment blocks of the antiquity.We will enter the Terme del Foro (Baths of the Forum), the largest spa complex in the city, to learn about the favourite pastimes of the Romans. We will follow the traditional “health” itenerary (for the Spa treatments) and passing from one room to another we will discover the attention dedicated by Romans to the care of the body and the technical aspect as demonstrated by the creation of the most efficient heating system of the ancient world. You can also relive, through the stories of your guide funny moments of daily life: like a break at the public restrooms (Forica), or a tasty meal at the restaurant (Thermopolium) behind the Forum of Ostia.

Ostia Antica foundation goes back to Anco Marzio, the legendary fourth King of Rome. It was a necessary foundation to control a place of very high strategic value: the mouth of the river Tiber (hence the origin of the name Ostia, from the Latin Ostium), a real maritime gateway to Rome and a zone of extraction of the precious salt. For this reason, Ostia was equipped with fortifications and a river port meant to house all goods destined to supply Rome.

The city will soon become a rich commercial crossroads, expanding to reach 50 thousand inhabitants and embellishing itself with beautiful and grandiose buildings. The imposing Capitolium, the temple dedicated to the Capitoline triad, will be erected in Piazza del Foro. It is the theatre that can accommodate as many as five thousand spectators and numerous thermal baths will be built to testify to the high quality of city life.There will also be a flourishing type of residential building for the merchant class on the rise, consisting of luxury buildings that have returned many refined frescoes that can now be visited by booking a special visit to the painted houses of Ostia Antica.