La Caravella

Terme del Foro

by sinoda

You can go beneath the baths into the small and winding dungeons, where the heating system and water retention has been. It's not really spooky, but not really canny either.

but remember: don't go towards the light! =)

Mosaics

by lina112

If you like mosaics, Ostia Antica is the place. There is mosaics everyvhere between the ruins, on the Terms, Thermopolium, houses, taberns, temples. They are very well conserved and are very originals. You will find more mosaics on my traveloge

As always, there's a story behind the buildings

by iandsmith

I actually parked just a few metres away from this atypical Italian piazza that lies directly across from the main tourist carpark at Ostia Antica.
It was such a colourful sight that I couldn't resist taking a picture of this typical Roman habitat.
It's all part of the Piazza della Rocca, whose name will become clearly evident when you move to the next picture.
The coasts of Latium became vulnerable to attacks by the Saracens and for the first time the Pope had to defend Rome without asking for the intervention of the Emperor. Because of this threat, between 842 and 843 Pope Gregorius IV built a fortified village, pompously called Gregoriopolis, near the by then abandoned Roman harbour of Ostia. The walls and the towers of Gregoriopolis, bearing in mind they were reinforced in later periods, clearly show the limited resources available to the pope at the time. The Saracens landed in 846 and did not bother about Gregoriopolis. They went onwards to Rome and sacked the Vatican which was outside the walls erected by the Emperor Aurelianus. They were however so greatly impressed by the walls and the size of the city that no other attempts were made to attack Rome.
Gregoriopolis did not expand even when the threat of Saracen raids faded out; a greater threat was constituted by malaria and most of the houses were empty. In the XVth century with the expansion of the Turks in the Mediterranean and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the risk of corsair raids on the coasts of Italy again became marked. The importance of Gregoriopolis grew also because of the salt-works the popes had activated at the mouth of the Tiber. Martinus V and Cardinal d'Estouteville among others reinforced Gregoriopolis and brought a new population there. In 1471 Giuliano della Rovere was made a cardinal by his uncle Sixtus IV and he was given the administration of the area between Albano and the sea. In 1483 Cardinal della Rovere undertook a plan for a large renovation of Gregoriopolis and most of what we see today belongs to that period.

Still amazingly alive

by ATLC

I enjoyed the visit to Ostia Antica immensely.
It was the harbour city of ancient Rome and although it is now ruins, you can still imagine the bustle of this small town.

Give me some time to upload photos and write tips.
Meantime: http://www.ostia-antica.org/
and my new Rome page.
And a tiny start on my Vatican City page

Let's move to Ostia - Ostia ANTICA !!

by icunme

"Ostia Antica - "move-in" condition"

Although not nearly as expansive as Pompeii, Ostia Antica is a destination in its own right. Once the Port of Rome, the ruins have been maintained and organized to give you the most descriptive venture back in time. We saw one "casa" we loved and so intact, we were ready to move in! You will easily distinguish the "bakery" from the "fast food" concession - the townhouse residences from the public baths. You will note that one of the public toilette facilities from Ostia Antica is actually pictured and described in the Pompeii literature (will post the photo when I find it).

View the travelogues and you will not be disappointed.

Also pages on OSTIA as it is a separate destination and you will see Rome's beach life - verrry interesting!

"Ostia Antica is also a thriving little town"

We were here one time when there was a very lovely festival in the town Piazza - some of the warmest, friendliest people I have encountered in Italy. Walk out of the piazza a little way and across the street to the entrance of Ostia Antica ruins.

"You are right by Rome's beach"

The beach of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea - take the train or a boat ride gets you there. After browsing the ruins - take a look at beach life in OSTIA. Romans have squared off here at the beaches - private beaches where you pay for everything - free public beaches - there are dedicated family beaches - then you have the gay beach - the nudie beach - the beach where teenagers congregate - the beach for people whose doggies like to swim - and a beach where you find a little of all the above!

The waters are not noted for their cleanliness - maybe part of the reason I like the pristine lakes so much!