From Trajan's Docks to the Thermal Springs: Civitavecchia Recounts Two Thousand Years of History
“The Emperor's Hundred Rooms” is a thematic experiential tour in Civitavecchia that traces the city's birth and development as a major port of the Roman Empire and an important spa town on the Lazio coast. After the eruption of Vesuvius and the progressive silting up of the port of Ostia, to support the economic expansion of Rome the emperor Trajan strengthened the system of supply ports, creating more modern and capacious ports such as Portus and the new port nucleus of Civitavecchia. The settlement, probably already inhabited in the Etruscan age, takes on a real monumental structure in the Trajan era, as still testified today by the remains of the ancient Darsena and the Molo del Lazzaretto , port works that tell of the very high level reached by Roman building and nautical engineering. The visit to the ancient city continues in historic urban fabric, recognizable in the area of the ancient Forum at the intersection of the Decumanus Maximus and the Cardo Maximus (now Corso Marconi), and in the remains of the Roman aqueduct . The most significant artifacts discovered in the city and surrounding area are preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Civitavecchia , a key stop on the itinerary. A short distance from the city centre, the route extends towards the Taurine Baths , one of the best-preserved Roman thermal complexes, with rooms specialized for different functions and a rich decoration that has made these “great Roman baths” famous. The sulphurous springs of Ficoncella , still frequented today, conclude the journey into the dimension of well-being: here the thermal waters are still used for ablutions and therapeutic treatments, keeping alive a tradition that has its roots in ancient times. An ideal itinerary for those who want to discover archaeological Civitavecchia , including imperial ports, Roman baths, and hot springs still in use.
