Rome’s new Colosseum station reveals ancient treasures

Beyond the entrance to Rome’s newest metro station beneath the Colosseum are display cases filled with hundreds of ancient artifacts found during a decade-long construction project.

Spread over four levels at a depth of 32 meters in the heart of Rome, the “Colosseo-Fori Imperiali” station on the city’s C line unveiled on Tuesday is a feat of modern engineering.

For the price of a €1.50 ticket, travelers can access the station’s underground museum containing 350 objects — from ceramic jugs and lamps to bronze statuettes and a wooden sword.

A little further on, the ruins of a bath house of a rich Roman can be seen.

Ancient Rome was built in layers. Temples and forums were built on older foundations before they were covered, creating fascinating terrain for archaeologists.

At ground level, a triangular opening even offers an unusual view of the Colosseum.

“The most important thing we have achieved is to show an insight … into everyday life,” Elisa Cella, an archaeologist at the Colosseum archaeological park, said at the presentation.

Excellent past

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri called the opening of the station “an extraordinary and historic event”.

He also defended the costly and time-consuming projects, which have caused widespread disruption to residents and tourists in the area for years.

The project had to be delayed several times due to complaints and unexpected discoveries.

“These archaeological excavations and findings are not an obstacle,” he said, calling it an opportunity to uncover the city’s “extraordinary past.”

Faced with Rome’s unique geological complexity, the excavation adopted a method of “downward archaeology” developed specifically for underground stations in the historic center.

It involves placing intermediate slabs as the excavations proceed from top to bottom, thus ensuring the stability of the structures.

Also inaugurated on Tuesday was the Porta Metronia station — where excavations have revealed a massive military complex from the 2nd century AD. including a residence decorated with frescoes and mosaics.

The residence was dismantled, restored and then reinstalled in a space that subway travelers can admire from an elevated walkway.

“Rome has always built on itself,” said Simona Morretta, head of the Porta Metronia excavations and museum.

Started in 2007, the construction of the C line connecting the northeast to the southeast of the city has suffered significant delays.

Once completed, it will have 31 stations with a length of 29 km.