Ostia

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Ostia

Ostia is a fraction of the commune of Rome, Italy, on the coast facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was the harbour of ancient Rome and perhaps its first colonia.

History

Origins

Located at the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was said to have been founded by Ancus Marcius, one of the kings of Rome, in the 7th century BC. A later inscription records the supposed event Marcio regi quarto a Romulo qui ab urbe condita primum coloniam --- deduxit. However the most ancient archaeological remains so far discovered, are no earlier than the 4th century BC, and the most ancient buildings currently visible are from the 3rd century BC, notably the Castrum (military camp) and, of a slightly later date, the Capitolium (temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva). The opus quadratum walls of the original castrum at Ostia provide important evidence for the building techniques that were employed in Roman urbanisation during the period of the Middle Republic.

Although Ostia was probably founded for the sole purpose of military defense — since through the Tiber's mouth armies could eventually reach Rome by water — in time the port became a commercial harbour , and a very important one too.

Many of the goods that Rome received from its colonies and provinces passed through Ostia - above all the all-important grain supply to the city of Rome. In this role, Ostia soon replaced Pozzuoli (Puteoli, near Naples).

In 87 BC, the town was razed by Marius, and again in 67 BC it was sacked by pirates. After this second attack, the town was re-built and provided with protective walls by Cicero. The town was then further developed during the 1st century AD, mainly under the influence of Tiberius, who ordered the building of the first Forum. The town was also soon enriched by the construction of a new harbour on the northern mouths of the Tiber (which reaches the sea with a larger mouth in Ostia, Fiumara Grande, and a narrower one near to the current Fiumicino international airport). The new harbour, not surprisingly called Portus, was excavated from the ground at the orders of the emperor Claudius; it has an hexagonal form, in order to reduce the waves strength.

The town was provided with all the services a town of the time could require; in particular, a famous lighthouse. Archaeologists also discovered the public latrinas, organised for collective use as a series of seats that allow us to imagine today that the function was also a social moment. In addition, Ostia had a large theatre, public baths and a fire fighting service. You can still see the mosaic floors of the baths near today's entrance to the town.

Trajan too, required a widening of the naval areas, and ordered the building of another harbour, again pointing towards the north. It must be remembered that at a relatively short distance, there was also the harbour of Civitavecchia (Centum Cellae), and Rome was starting to have a significant number of harbours, the most important remaining Portus.

Rise and fall of Ostia

Ostia grew to 50,000 inhabitants in the 2nd century and in time focused its naval activities on Portus. With the end of the Roman Empire, Ostia fell slowly into decay, and was finally abandoned in the 9th century due to the fall of the Roman empire in combination with repeated invasions and sackings by Arab pirates; the inhabitants moved to Gregoriopolis. In the Middle Ages, bricks from buildings in Ostia were used for several other occasions. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was entirely built of material originally belonging to Ostia.

A "local sacking" was carried out by baroque architects, who used the remains as a sort of marble store for the palazzi they were building in Rome. Soon after, foreign explorers came in search of ancient statues and objects. The Papacy started organising its own investigations with Pope Pius VII and the research still continues today. It has been estimated that two thirds of the ancient town have currently been found.

For the naval battle of 849 between Christian and Saracens, see Battle of Ostia.

Ostia under fascism

Ostia lived a new life during fascism, when it was renamed Lido di Ostia, or Ostia Lido, or Lido di Roma (Lido meaning beach): following the general urbanised re-planning of Rome, a new quartiere was created ex novo in the southern side of the capital city (EUR), and a comfortable road was built to connect it with the seaside (dedicated to Christopher Columbus). Ostia became the beach resort of Rome, and was connected by a railway, while the first projects for the Fiumicino airport were drafted out. The town was re-organised in a pure so-called "fascist architecture" (which recalls some colonial, Mediterranean and rationalist styles) and divided into a coastal side, distributed in small villas used as second houses by Romans, and a rear side for workers (peripheral quartieri and borgate were created all around Rome for the lower classes, and Ostia was one of them).

During the Fascist period many of the structures of Ancient Ostia were renovated or in some cases reconstructed. The whole of the exterior of the Theatre, and much of the interior, date from 1930 to 1933.

However the fascist renewal was not long enjoyed by Romans, due to the imminence of World War II which arrived when part of the works were still in progress; it was only in the 1960s that Ostia began to be used as a beach and as a holiday site, effectively becoming a part of the town, and it still is part of the territory of the council of Rome.

Photos

External links

Ancient ostia Virtual panoramas and photo gallery (English/Italian)
Ostia — Harbour City of Ancient Rome including an introduction
Ostia Antica (in Italian)

Archaeological sites in Italy | Roman sites of the Lazio | Towns in the Lazio | Districts of Rome | Ancient Roman architecture