Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica lies four kilometres from Rome’s coast in the south-western part of the city. The ancient Roman port once fed the capital with grain, oil and wine. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries it housed about 75,000 people. The bishopric was established in the 3rd century, and Saint Monica died here in 387. Her tomb later became the church of Santa Aurea. The city’s streets still show warehouses, baths and temples from its working life. In the 4th century twenty-six baths remained in use. By the 5th century Ostia had become a seaside resort while still handling state supplies. The castle built by Pope Julius II in the 15th century overlooks the remains today. Visitors walk past the theatre and the forum. The Castle of Julius II stands near the entrance, its moat long filled by floodwater. Beyond the walls the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve stretches along the coast. The Parco dei Ravennati remembers workers who drained the marshes.