Duration: 2.5 hours
Antiquarium e Basilica di Sant’Ippolito, Necropoli di Portus
Just outside Rome there is an archaeological site which we might well regard as a cameo of ancient Rome. Close to the famous Port of Trajan, a huge Roman cemetery has been discovered, which provides us with one of the most characteristic examples of Roman funereal art. You can walk through a real city of the dead, with streets filled with more than 200 collective or individual tombs. Amazingly, we are even told the professions of the deceased by means of decorative images above the tomb entrances depicting his or her function in life: doctor, baker, artisan, blacksmith, sailor, and even wet-nurse. Every sort of funeral rite was in use at the Portus Cemetery, from interment to cremation.
The visit also includes the museum and the area around the Early Christian Basilica of Sant’Ippolito, which stands on the ruins of some Roman baths.