Roman villa unearthed during sewer works near Rome's Olympic Stadium

During sewer restoration works on Viale dei Gladiatori near the Foro Italico, a monumental Roman villa from the late Republican period was discovered. The site, inhabited until the 3rd century AD, extends from Monte Mario to the Tiber. The excavation, part of the Alto Farnesina collector restoration project financed with €7.5 million and running from December 2022 to December 2024, also yielded archaeological finds from the Archaic and mid-Republican periods. Alessio De Cristofaro, archaeologist of the Soprintendenza Capitolina, noted that the site had been previously studied and stripped of major materials in antiquity, but the excavation offers a rare opportunity to explore beyond Rome's historic center. Due to the impossibility of halting the necessary public works, the Soprintendenza Speciale requested that Roma Capitale find a solution for artifact preservation. The finds will be dismantled, studied, cataloged, and conserved for future use.