Archaeological discoveries delayed work as archaeologists carefully preserved layers of ancient Rome whose existence was previously unknown.
After years of delays and budget overruns, Rome opened two new stations on the Metro C automatic line, including one next to the Coliseum, transforming mobility works into spaces for enhancing archaeological heritage. The new Porta Metronia and Colosseo stations now connect the eastern suburbs of the Italian capital to the historic center.
According to Reuters, the Metro C automatic line will now extend from the eastern suburbs of the Italian capital to Porta Metronia and the Coliseum, extending its route to the city’s historic center.
The excavations revealed previously unknown structures and objects from Ancient Rome, delaying work while archaeologists carefully preserved layers of a Rome whose existence was previously unknown.
In Porta Metronia, a military barracks dating back around two thousand years was identified, as well as a house with frescoes and mosaics, now part of a museum inside the station. In the Coliseum area, 28 ancient wells and hundreds of everyday artifacts were found, many of them on display to the public.
“These two stations will travel around the world. In addition to serving passengers and Romans, anyone coming here from Italy or abroad will stop at these stations. They can even take the metro without need, just to enjoy the trip”, said Transport Minister, Matteo Salvini, predicting that they will soon flood social media.
The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, said the effort was worth it.
“Without these major works, we would never have discovered the barracks in Porta Metronia, we would never have found these wells, and today we would know much less about our extraordinary past,” he said.
The Metro C line, initially planned to connect the city’s main basilicas until the year 2000, only reached the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in 2018. The connection to the Vatican remains distant, with the closest station still at least a decade away. The project costs exceeded three billion euros, above the 2.23 billion initially forecast.
Plans call for the line to continue to Piazza Venezia, whose station is not expected to open before 2032, in one of the most complex engineering projects currently underway in the city. In Piazza Venezia, a construction team is excavating an 85-meter-deep ring, which will be filled with reinforced concrete to protect the six underground floors of the station that are being excavated.
