Rome opens new subway stations featuring ancient artifacts display
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One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations now offers visitors and commuters a new way to experience its ancient history.
Rome opened two new metro stations in early December, one of which is located just below the Colosseum.
What makes the stations unique is that the ancient artifacts unearthed during the construction of the stations are exhibited in the stations.
There are various historical objects at the two stations Colosseo-Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia.
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In the newly opened metro stations in Rome, there are ancient artifacts unearthed during construction under historical buildings. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Exhibits in the Colosseo include ceramic vases and plates, stone wells and ancient hanging buckets, as well as a cold plunge pool and thermal bath from a first-century residence.
Just a stone’s throw away, Porta Metronia features military barracks dating back to the 2nd century AD, some 80 meters long.
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The barracks were located 22 to 39 feet underground, Simona Moretta, scientific director of the excavation, told reporters. The soldiers stationed there were probably hired to protect the city or the emperor specifically.
“The fact that the entrances of the rooms do not face each other and that they are shifted so that the soldiers can leave the rooms and line up without clashing in the corridor is a guarantee that this is a military building,” he said.
Rome’s Metro C expansion has revealed centuries-old ruins that can now be seen at modern public transport stops. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The stops are part of the Metro C subway line, which will cost the city approximately $8.3 billion and is planned to be fully opened in 2035.
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Once completed, officials expect Line C to carry 800,000 passengers per day. It is projected to run a total of 18 miles, 12 of which will be underground.
The metro line will pass under Rome’s landmarks, such as Trajan’s Column, the Basilica of Maxentius and the Vatican, as well as Renaissance palaces.
“The challenge was to build it under such a large amount of groundwater and at the same time preserve all the archaeological finds we found.”
Although the project was slowed down by bureaucratic delays and financing problems, more than 500,000 artifacts were unearthed during the excavations.
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Marco Cervone, construction manager for the consortium building the subway line, told the Associated Press that the terrain made the undertaking difficult.
“The challenge was to build it under such a large amount of groundwater and at the same time preserve all the archaeological finds that we found during the excavation and everything above while doing all that,” Cervone said. he said.
Rome’s Metro C expansion forced builders to work around first- and second-century structures buried well below street level. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP Photo)
The station openings come as Italian authorities introduce new measures to manage tourism in the Eternal City.
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In December, authorities announced that due to overcrowding in recent years, tourists visiting the Trevi Fountain would have to pay approximately $2.35 or 2 euros to see the fountain up close.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
