Thermal baths, a post station, funerary monuments, a place of worship and a cemetery were recently discovered in Rome, where the streets Portuensis and Campana converge.
The finds came to light as work was being carried out to enlarge the streets’ lanes. They revealed the presence of a service station for travelers and traders in an area where large quantities of olive oil, grains, salt, fabrics and many other goods transited to reach the capital of the Roman Empire, which counted one million inhabitants. The Via Portuensis was the road that connected the port to the city.
After restoration work is carried out, the area can be visited by advance reservation (write to: scaviportuense@gmail.com). It will be possible to admire the female and male thermal baths, the necropolis and a small building of worship.
Among the most beautiful discoveries, a marble basin with two female heads, perhaps used as a small fountain. It was recovered in a small building next to the men’s spa, which was perhaps the site of a paleo-Christian cult, where several graves and a chapel were found. Many female objects were also found, as well as a big tub, more than 2 meters tall.
