Capitoline Temple, Forum of Ostia Antica
View of the Capitoline Temple, forum from the East
Via Insula di Diana– by the forum of Ostia Antica
Visually as stunning and rarely seen is Ostia Antica in snow. I must confess that I wasn’t present for it, December 17, 2010. Colleagues from our AIRC Ostia Antica excavation (led by University of Bologna) went out in the morning to check on the dig site, by Porta Marina. I saw Alberto Prieto, who is one of our top archaeologists, and who led the AIRC group this summer, with the Bologna crowd, before he set out for Ostia. Given the temperature that morning, around 30 degrees, I suggested that he wait til Monday– but he’s tough and not one to procrastinate– he’s really one of my heroes! At any rate, as I continued on in a budget meeting in Rome, I noted it was snowing– wondering about Ostia. Then I got an SMS from Alberto– it was snowing in Ostia. Needless to say, he was not able to do the work he had set out to do– but as we both agreed from our unique experience in the Roman Forum last year, the inconvenience of snow in Rome and Ostia Antica are well worth it.
December 17, 2010
at 6:05 pm
You know what would’ve been an amazing experience? Seeing snow there when the Romans ruled, and heading in for a good steam bath…
at 6:15 pm
Now you are talking– plenty of spas still in Rome today, though– so I hear you!
at 7:23 pm
Fantastic photos, thanks for sharing! I caught the snow in Rome city center, but it didn’t have quite the effect it seems to have had at Ostia Antica.
at 7:26 pm
Yeah, the real dump in Rome was last February. Ostia was magical this past week b/c of nice coating and lack of people. It’s one of the reasons it’s such a pleasant place to visit and work– so close to Rome and yet worlds away. I think it’s one of the best sites that accurately represents what ancient Rome was like– and it’s usually ignored by the Roman tourist. Better for us– and better for the site.
at 12:17 am
Nice photos! How about some more shots of this gorgeous city?
at 11:16 pm
Coming up!