Ostia Antica

There are two different sides to Ostia Antica, the end point of the Via Ostiense. There is the Archaeological Park, where you can visit the excavations and ruins of the great Roman city of Ostia, the historic port of Rome, which had a population of more than 50,000 in its heyday. And there is the village of Ostia Antica, founded in the early Middle Ages above the Christian necropolis of the Roman city. The remaining inhabitants of the original city took refuge here to escape the Saracen raids. In the 9th century the settlement was transformed into a fortified citadel (known as Gregoriopoli) by Pope Gregory IV, who established a customs house and the control centre on the salt pans of Ostia, which remained active even after the decline of the port. The golden age of the town was in the 15th century, when Pope Martin V and then Cardinal Guillaume d'Estouteville reinforced the walls and other defensive structures, as well as improving living conditions; and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (the future Julius II) completed the renovation of the Basilica of Santa Aurea and transformed the fortress into a castle, through the genius of Baccio Pontelli.

The Episcopal Palace, a reconstruction of a previous residence, also dates back to the second half of the 15th century; the wing between the church and the city walls is from the 16th century, as are the frescoes on the first floor, commissioned by Cardinal Raffaele Riario to Baldassarre Peruzzi (1508–1513) and inspired by Trajan's Column. That period of glory is now celebrated twice a year, with the summer and autumn editions of the Palio of Ostia Antica, a costumed re-enactment of a Renaissance palio. The town fell into decline in favour of Fiumicino following the tragic flood of the Tiber in 1557, which caused the burial of the Roman city and permanently changed the course of the river, turning the surrounding countryside into an unhealthy swamp.