Forum of Ostia Antica
Stand at the centre of the Forum of Ostia Antica and you are standing in the middle of what was once one of Rome's most important port cities — not as a ruin you peer at from behind a rope, but as an open space you can walk across, the paving stones still underfoot. At the north end, the Capitolium rises on its high brick podium, marble-clad and dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. At the south, the substructure of the Temple of Rome and Augustus marks where the imperial cult took root.
The Forum was the city's political and religious core — where the Basilica handled legal disputes, where the Curia convened local magistrates, where public life was transacted in stone and ceremony. It reads, even now, as a working centre rather than a monument.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to time their arrival for early morning, when the light is low and the Capitolium throws a long shadow across the Forum square. The audioguide's long route (€7) earns its price here — the Forum alone rewards slow attention, and without it the Curia and Basilica foundations are easy to walk past without registering what they once were.
The story behind Forum of Ostia Antica
The ground beneath the Forum has been occupied since at least the 4th century BC, when a castrum — a fortified military camp of tuff-block walls, roughly 194 by 125 metres — was established here, most likely between 349 and 338 BC. Tradition reaches back further, crediting Ancus Marcius, Rome's fourth king, with founding Ostia around 620 BCE, though no archaeology has confirmed that date.
The Forum as it reads today took its monumental shape during the reign of Hadrian, around 120 CE, when the Capitolium was built and porticoes were added along the long sides of the square. The Temple of Rome and Augustus, at the Forum's south end, had already been established early in Tiberius's reign, shortly after 14 CE. The Basilica and Curia completed an ensemble that served the city for centuries.
Good to know
Take Metro B to Piramide, then the Roma Lido commuter train to Ostia Antica — about 35 minutes total. The park is closed Mondays, 25 December, and 1 January. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month. Budget 2–3 hours minimum; 4 if you photograph seriously or move slowly.
May through October brings the most reliable weather for an outdoor site this exposed — temperatures between 21 and 28°C and long daylight hours. Summer afternoons in July and August can be genuinely hot with little shade in the Forum square itself, so a morning start earns its keep. Winter visits are quieter but wetter, with November the wettest month and afternoon light fading early.
Where is Forum of Ostia Antica?
More tickets & tours for Forum of Ostia Antica
Book directly at the provider
What travellers say about Forum of Ostia Antica
Unbelievable- the old city of Ostia Antica was like a dream. Houses that are high as 3 stories high still operational, with marvelous wall paintings and sculptures in marble and metal water pipes, simply breathtaking. For archiology fans, this is a must visit.
Part of the best 2nd-3rd century ancient roman ruins in Italy. Even though the site is much earlier 3rd-2nd C bc.
Amazing place, you can see here many hidden sites, likes undergrounds where you walk following the old sewage systems as well as the ovens below the bath. At some points you can see the cracks on the ground which allows to glimpse the basements of the bath. On the south west of this building you can see the latrines which are still up and in a quit good condition. You clearly spend a ling time there...
If you have visited Rome, Ostia Antica is really recommended / not to be missed , to get a good feel of a Roman city.
Nice to see baths next to all the other historical buildings. Abe you can move as you like, no restrictions.
More of Ostia Antica
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Ostia Antica →More attractions in Ostia Antica
All of Ostia Antica →
Background adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ratings & place photos via Google · other photos with per-image credit. Ticket links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.