The Subterranean Museum

How Rome's "Green Line" is merging 21st-century infrastructure with the ruins of the Empire.

The well 10 and the well 19: of the 25 wells unearthed in the station building, at least 8 have yielded materials related to practices of a cultic character.

---

This afternoon, my daughter and I visited two metro-museum stations on Line C in Rome, also called the green line.

Construction on this line began in 2007. Of the planned 25.6 kilometres and 30 stations, 21.5 kilometres and 24 stations are complete so far. The section from Monte Compatri/Pantano to Colosseo/Fiori Imperiali is open now, while work continues between Venezia and Farnesina. The full Metro C line, from Compatri/Pantano to Farnesina, should be running by 2033.

A metro-museum station is a modern idea that brings archaeological finds into everyday travel, making them part of the commute. This way, a normal transit area becomes a unique place to explore.

Another interesting feature of Metro Line C is its driverless technology, so there are no train operators.

---

The two station museums are Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia. You can reach them in two ways:

1. If you take Metro Line B (the blue line), get off at the “Colosseo” station. This stop lets you visit the Colosseum, which I highly recommend. When you return, just follow the train signs. The tracks are below the metro line, so you’ll go down one or two escalators and walk a bit, since the museum stations are at either end. My daughter and I picked this route because it was simpler.

2. If you walk outside, you’ll find Porta Metronia station in Piazzale Ipponio, on the right next to the Aurelian Walls. The Colosseo-Fori Imperiali station is the same as the Colosseum stop from the first option.

---

Because Rome has so much history and so many archaeological finds, construction often takes longer as workers uncover treasures from the Roman Empire.

Seeing pieces of history up close is truly exciting and inspiring. It makes you feel a real sense of respect.

The museum’s design is managed and funded by Parco archeologico del Colosseo, together with the Department of Architecture and Design of Sapienza Università di Roma. Their partnership is a great example of how infrastructure, research, and culture can come together. It shows Rome as more than just a tourist spot, but as a place to really explore and learn.

Here are some photos we took during our visit.

---

Top first row, from left to right: Escalators, Staircase and remains from homes of the common people to the palace of Emperor Nero. Middle row, from left to right: Remains from homes of the common people to the palace of Emperor Nero and remains found in wells, the oldest datable to between 4th and 3rd century BC, and the most recent to between 3rd and 1st century BC. Bottom row, from eft to right: Knife with curved iron blade and wooden handle, dataed from 4th century BC. Remains of Doric frieze, probably from the second half of the 3rd century BC. Ceramic cooking pots from 3rd-1st century BC.

---

Upper row, from left to right: light-coloured two-handled jar, detable to the late decades of the 6th century BC.The outer surface is decorated with horizontal bonds painted black and dark brown. Handle of a bronze jug, with thumb rest and palmette, datable between 4th and 3rd century BC. Below, on the shelf: votive offering in the shape of an owl and a phallus, both datable between 4th and 2nd century BC, miniature black-glazed ware cup (275 BC). Bottom row, from left to right: hand-worked bone hair pin (2nd century-1st century BC), three coarseware jars with brown marks and traces of glaze on the surface (4th-3rd century BC. Set of stag's antlers, shed as a result of the annual molt.Offerings were thrown into a well according to a well-coded sequence: metal and ceramic containers, faunal remains, coins and wooden objects are what remains of complex ceremonies, from 4th-1st century BC.

---

For more information, kindly check the sites below:

Line C project

The project - Colosseo/Fori Imperiali

Travelling through history: the new museum stations of Metro Line C

Rome’s New Metro Colosseum & Porta Metronia Lines: Explore The Archaeological Sites

Warmly,

---

Or, if you’d simply like to treat me to a coffee while I write the next publication, you can do so here. Every bit of support means the world!