Porti Imperiali di Claudio e Traiano
Archaeological area of Portus at Fiumicino, the great harbour of imperial Rome founded by Claudius and expanded by Trajan, part of the Parco di Ostia antica.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Together with the nearby river port of Ostia, Portus was the sea port of imperial Rome. In AD 42 the emperor Claudius began building a large harbour north of the mouth of the Tiber, because the port of Ostia was silting up: a basin of about 150 hectares with two curved moles, dominated by a multi-storey lighthouse and connected to the river by artificial canals.
Between AD 100 and 112 Trajan had a new hexagonal basin of 33 hectares added, integrated into Claudius’s system, and other canals dug, including the Fossa Traiana, today’s Fiumicino canal. On the basin stood the Severan Warehouses, for storing goods, and the Imperial Palace, a representative building for high-ranking guests; around the Darsena (inner harbour) the Trajanic Warehouses developed.
In the 2nd and 3rd centuries the harbour gave rise to a permanent settlement, which in AD 314 became a city under the name Portus Romae. As the coastline advanced and silting continued, the basin filled up between the Middle Ages and the early modern period. Today the sea is about four kilometres away, and the area is enclosed by the infrastructure of Fiumicino airport. The site is part of the Parco archeologico di Ostia antica.
Highlights
- Trajan’s hexagonal basin
- Severan Warehouses and Imperial Palace
- Traces of Claudius’s harbour and of the lighthouse
- Harbour master’s office, cistern and baths of the Monte Giulio complex
- Near the Museo delle Navi in Fiumicino
Permanent exhibition
- Area archeologica di Portus – Visit to Trajan’s hexagonal basin with the remains of warehouses, the Imperial Palace and structures of Claudius’s harbour.
- Operated by
- Parco archeologico di Ostia antica (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 21,466
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2EU citizens aged 18 to 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for EU citizens under 18. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and one companion. |
| Combined ticket of the Parco archeologico di Ostia antica | €18Valid for 8 days from first entry to all sites and museums of the park; reduced to €2 for EU young people aged 18 to 25. |
| Park Fidelity Card (365 days) | €40Reduced version for €25. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month (Museum Sunday)
Other free admissions and reductions apply under current regulations (among others, EU tour guides and interpreters, ICOM members, journalists, teachers and students of sector courses, EU school groups). Online tickets are sold through CoopCulture.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | For opening times and visiting arrangements, the website of the Parco archeologico di Ostia antica is authoritative. |
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