Ostia Antica, Rome

A  very short train ride away from Rome, Ostia Antica is a large archeological site, close to the modern suburb of Ostia. It was the location of the harbor city of ancient Rome, which is approximately 30 kilometres (19 miles) to the northeast. I did this little sketch while on a visit with Roman  my friend, artist Sonia Cipollari, who even talked the ticket seller into giving us a discount because we were “Artists!”

“Ostia” in Latin means “mouth”. At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome’s seaport, but due to silting the site now lies 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the sea. The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics. It was only excavated during Mussolini’s time.

Here s a view of the theater exterior, one of many remarkable ruins in Ostia.