The public address system of Line C of the Rome metro has released a new melody: “Next station: Colosseum-Imperial Forums”a modern metro station with an archaeological museum included and inaugurated on Tuesday in the center of the Italian capital, which connects the outskirts with ancient Rome. It took eleven years, three more than it took to build the Colosseum itselfbecause, among other things, during excavations in Rome there is a risk of finding archaeological remains and discoveries that highlight the extraordinary cultural heritage of the city.
Located under Via dei Fori Imperiali, between the imposing Colosseum and the Basilica of Maxentiusthe station, which will be connected to the existing line B, was opened to the public with the Porta Metronia station, located next to the Aurelian Walls. There is about a kilometer distance between the two. The journey between the two stations, approximately two minutes and forty-five secondstook place for the first time in installations mixing traditional and contemporary
The Coliseum station, located at a depth of 32 meters, has a large hall with gold trim and contemporary finishesdesigned as a tour of various archaeological finds until arriving at the train. While that of Porta Metronia, also rich in history, has five underground levels and incorporates a glass window from which the traveler can observe a vast military complex from the Roman era, from the 2nd century AD. C., which includes the Commander’s House, with frescoes and mosaic floors.
Both the decoration and the arrangement of the objects on display meet a specific objective: “This covering, which is the same as that of the floor, precisely wants to convey this idea: the idea of entering an excavation“, the construction director of the construction company in charge Webuild, Marco Cervone, told journalists from the Coliseum metro platforms.
Among the pieces exhibited in different parts of the stations, where millions of travelers pass every year, many of them tourists, there are also votive objects, figures or artifacts, such as three situlas (vessels) and a jug made of bronze sheet, used to extract water around 2,300 years ago. During the excavations they also discovered 28 wells built between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. which allowed residents to obtain water for their daily activities.
A work of construction and archeology and a window on history which, according to the restorer of the Colosseum archaeological park, Francesca Gherardi, is “unique in the world” and it will now allow travelers to see another part of ancient Rome as they rush to catch the metro. Due to its heritage and urban complexity, Rome only has three metro linesone of which, C, is still in the construction and expansion phase.
Present at the presentation of the Colosseum-Imperial Forums station were the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, the Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, and the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri. All three emphasized the importance of these stations as a way to combine infrastructure advancements with heritage conservationin one of the nerve centers of the Eternal City.
“The ancient city is transformed into the city of the future, remaining true to itself,” Giuli defended. For his part, Salvini highlighted the engineering work, “which overcame a very complicated challenge”: “Because it’s dizzying to dig under the world heritage site”.
He also highlighted collaboration between local and state institutions, whatever their political color: “Let’s unite, show the world that our engineers, our architects, our geologists They are not afraid of comparison with the Chinese, with the Turks, with the Swedes, with the Japanese…”.
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