Fiumicino is a small coastal town about thirty kilometers from the center of Rome, very close to Ostia. The town is home to Rome’s main international airport: Leonardo da Vinci, inaugurated in 1960 to relieve congestion at Ciampino Airport. A fishing village began to develop along this coast starting in the 16th century. However, Fiumicino also has an interesting ancient heritage, although largely overlooked by travelers. One can see the remains of imperial Roman ports there, such as the Ports of Claudius and Trajan, the Roman necropolises of Porto—Porto being a former sacred peninsula—or the Roman Boat Museum (Museo delle Navi Romane) located near the airport runways, which houses the preserved hulls of several boats.
Nearly 20 kilometres from Rome, Ostia Antica is one of the most beautiful Roman sites in the region. Beyond its great archaeological interest, it also offers a pleasant and relaxing setting. Ostia was the port that served ancient Rome at the mouth of the Tiber. Under the empire it was enlarged with the Imperial Harbours of Claudius and Trajan that can also be discovered, with the nearby Necropolis of Portus in the Isola Sacra and a Roman Ships Museum.
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