Rome has opened the Colosseo-Fori Imperiali station on its C metro line, a four-level underground stop reaching 32 metres that contains a museum of some 350 artefacts recovered during a decade of construction. For €1.50, visitors can view everyday Roman objects and the remains of a nearby wealthy household's bathhouse. Engineers used a specialised 'descending archaeology' technique to protect structures while excavations progressed. The nearby Porta Metronia station also reopened, showing a reassembled 2nd-century military residence with frescoes and mosaics.
Rome’s Colosseo-Fori Imperiali Metro Station Unveils 350 Ancient Treasures Beneath the Colosseum
For a 1.5-euro ticket, travellers can access an underground museum holding 350 objects -- from ceramic jugs and lamps to bronze statuettes and a wooden sword (Filippo MONTEFORTE)(Filippo MONTEFORTE/AFP/AFP)
Beneath the entrance to Rome’s newest metro stop beside the Colosseum, display cases now showcase hundreds of ancient objects recovered during more than a decade of construction. The newly opened Colosseo-Fori Imperiali station on the city’s C line stretches across four levels down to 32 metres and combines modern engineering with an on-site archaeological museum.
What Visitors Can See
For the price of a €1.50 metro ticket, visitors can access the station’s subterranean museum that contains roughly 350 artefacts — from ceramic jugs and oil lamps to bronze figurines and even a wooden sword. A short walk from the display area reveals the remains of a bathhouse that once served a wealthy Roman household.
Engineering Meets Archaeology
Excavations in central Rome are always complex because the city was built in successive layers over millennia. Temples, forums and homes were constructed on earlier foundations and later covered over, creating rich stratigraphy for archaeologists.
To protect both the finds and the surrounding historic fabric, engineers and archaeologists used a specialised 'descending archaeology' method developed for underground stations in Rome’s historic centre. The technique involves installing intermediate slabs as digging proceeds from top to bottom to preserve stability and allow careful documentation and conservation of discoveries.
Elisa Cella, an archaeologist at the Colosseum Archaeological Park, said at the unveiling: 'The most important thing we have managed to do is show an insight into daily life.'
Porta Metronia And Other Finds
Also inaugurated was the Porta Metronia station, where excavations uncovered a large 2nd-century AD military complex that included a residence decorated with frescoes and mosaics. That residence was carefully dismantled, conserved and reassembled in a space visible to commuters from an elevated walkway.
Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, called the opening 'an extraordinary and historic event' and defended the protracted and costly works, which caused long-running disruption for residents and visitors. Project delays were partly due to unexpected archaeological discoveries and community complaints, but officials say those finds are an opportunity to reveal the city’s extraordinary past.
Construction on the C line began in 2007. When completed it will run about 29 kilometres and include 31 stations, linking the city’s northeast to its southeast.
Practical note: The museum displays are integrated into the transit environment, offering commuters and visitors a rare chance to encounter Rome’s layered history as part of a normal metro journey.
