The history of the ruins of Ostia is long and complicated. It is the story of barbarian invasions and raids by pirates, of a visit by Richard the Lionheart or Coeur de Lion, of popes who owned the site and started searches, and of digging aristocrats. The archaeologists and historians studying the harbour of Rome do not just work with what can be seen today. They also work their way through old manuscripts and engravings, in the hope of finding more information about the early searches. For a long time Ostia did not have its own museum, and the finds ended up in dozens of museums elsewhere and in private collections: in Italy especially in the Vatican Museums, but also in other European countries and in North America. Often no more is known than "Found in Ostia", sometimes with the period of excavation. Many objects must still lie hidden in the storage rooms of museums and in private collections. The ruins of Ostia are relatively well preserved. The city was not buried below a living and changing city, like ancient Rome. The modern village Ostia Antica, with mediaeval roots, is situated to the east of the ancient city.

1. Slow decay and slow emergence  2. Earthquakes, tsunamis and fires  3. The raising of Ostia and Tiber inundations  4. A city with two faces  5. Between decay and emergence  6. From the 12th to the 16th century

7. The 17th and 18th century  8. The lime kilns  9. The early 19th century 10. The later 19th century 11. Gold glass 12. Malaria

13. The early 20th century 14. Calm before the storm: 1914 - 1937 15. A column from Ostia in Chicago 16. The excavations for the World Exhibition in Rome: 1938 - 1945 17. Restorations 18. From the Second World War until the present day

A photo of ruins of Ostia taken in 1855. In the background is the 15th century castle in the medieval village Ostia Antica.