The Roman port of Ostia Antica lies just to the west of Rome, directly beneath the flight path of Fiumicino airport. Once a busy port at the mouth of the Tiber, the complex included warehouses and multi-storey apartment blocks, theatres, temples and schools. One the river began to silt up, with the coastline moving westward, the town fell into disuse.
What’s left of what was a thriving port remains in a state of remarkable preservation. It’s possible to climb up the stairs and view the site from what were the upper floors of residential buildings, and the outlines of huge warehouses and offices remain.
Perhaps because the site is hard to reach from central Rome, and the sheer size of the complex, it’s easy to avoid the crowds here as you wander through the immaculate ruins.
Ostia Antica is a couple of hours’ drive from Cecanibbi, but well worth a visit.