The Two Cities of Rome

Recently aired on SBS was a program called ‘Rome Underground’ which I found fascinating. This is what I learnt.

Rome has three metro lines: A, B and C. Lines A and B cover the city centre and some of the most important monuments, like the Colosseum, Spanish Steps and Vatican. Line C travels from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Train Station. Line C is being expanded with construction of the Venezia station in Piazza Venezia in front of the colossal white monument dedicated to the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II. It is known as the Vittoriano building, but also referred to as the typewriter and the wedding cake.

After two decades of construction in the suburbs, the extended line C will reach into the beating heart of modern Rome. Inconvenient chaos has come with unprecedented opportunities. Building Line C’s shafts, stations and tunnels has unravelled 3,000 years of extraordinary development in a city where only 10% of its archaeology has been excavated.

It is a complex endeavour as historians, engineers and archaeologists work together. Rome is a complicated city and any kind of digging is demanding. Usually in Rome, what is underground stays underground.

The extension of Line C has revealed sites and discoveries that would have otherwise remained unknown. It is an amazing opportunity to recover and protect archaeological sites that are a crucial part of Rome’s history.

Experts stumbled on a mysterious structure underneath the Colosseum. It is an ancient sewer which is an essential piece of infrastructure that provides glimpses into everyday life. It was built at the time of Emperor Domitian in the 1st century, confirmed by the stonecutter’s stamps on the stone.

It is called Cloaca Maxima and is the oldest sewer in the world. In continuous use for over 26 centuries, the Cloaca Maxima (or great sewer in Italian) first emerged in the 6th century BC as an open air brick channel cutting through the valley and draining the marshy plain. It’s only thanks to this that the centre of Rome could be built on solid ground.

Positioned six metres below the Imperial Forums, over the centuries the Cloaca Maxima evolved into a complex drainage system with extensions and diversions safeguarding citizens from contaminated water and protecting buildings above from water damage. With each urban layer added to the city over time, the sewer was buried deeper and deeper.

To run safely under the Cloaca Maxima, Metro Line C must dive over 30 metres below street level, a striking contrast to the metro in Paris which is only 10 metres underground. The ancient sewer has sensors to monitor even the slightest impact during construction of Line C.

Another discovery underneath the Colosseum’s new station was a private house. Before the fire of 64 AD, there were private homes. Also found were 25 well preserved wells built between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC and countless artefacts.

A large number of ovens from the 2nd century were found beneath Piazza Venezia. Marble was being burned in the ovens to make cement binder, an essential Roman construction material.

A vast Roman auditorium complex was also discovered which was covered by an earthquake in medieval times. On the stone was a stamp with names of the consuls in office in 123 AD. This was the time of Emperor Hadrian’s rule. He was one of five good emperors (there were some bad ones) who believed strongly in the power of knowledge. He was a passionate Greekophile obsessed with Greek culture and was dedicated to enlightening the people of Rome with Greek knowledge.

Ancient texts mention Hadrian building a grand complex for noble citizens to learn science, law and philosophy, but the location of this legendary school had been lost to time.

Now here it was. Thanks to Metro Line C.

The next new station to be built after the Colosseum station is Porta Metronia. Before engineers could break ground, archaeologists conducted a detailed survey five metres below the ground. Nothing was mentioned in ancient records. All the preliminary research, dozens of core samples and archaeological excavations didn’t find anything. Construction was given the go ahead.

But when they reached nine metres below ground, something brought the entire operation to a standstill.

Room by room a huge barracks from the 2nd century was unearthed. Can you imagine? Spanning over 1,700 square metres, adorned with frescoes and mosaics, thirty rooms housed a company of Roman soldiers. Here was history showing the life of a solider in Rome in the 2nd century.

Below the barracks there was a vast residence for the Commander and his family. Over 300 square metres of luxury revealed an atrium and a lavish fountain, showcasing a quintessential symbol of Roman opulence - water. There was running water because lead pipes were found.

What to do with such an unprecedented find. Work was suspended.

This history had to be preserved at all costs. There was only one solution. The barracks would be completely removed from the site, so that construction of Line C could proceed.

The preservation of the walls of the rooms was an absolute priority. First, a 3D model of the site with GPS data logged the exact position of each section of the barracks. Then a massive operation began guided by strict conservation procedures. The ancient walls were carefully dismantled and lifted. Mosaic floors were removed from where they had laid for almost 2,000 years.

In a climate controlled space, each section of the barracks was meticulously studied and restored, along with every day objects from the site - ceramics, plates and pots.

A large space was created for the entire Roman barracks and each section of this vast complex is now being returned to the site and carefully reassembled into its original structure. Soon, this ancient barracks will be an integral part of a daily commute on Line C.

The modern marvel of Line C is a subway that is also an archaeological museum. Incredibile.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb