Ostia Antica

Ostia was Rome's port at the mouth of the Tiber and grew to some 50,000 inhabitants. When the river shifted and the harbour silted up, it was abandoned, and the mud preserved it: today you walk whole streets of shops, multi-storey apartment blocks and baths.

The highlights are the Square of the Corporations, with mosaics advertising each shipping firm, the theatre, still used in summer, and a tavern with its counter and paintings.