Ostia (quarter of Rome)

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For other places with the same name, see Ostia.

The administrative hall of the 13th Municipio, formerly the local seat of the Governatorato di Roma.

Location of the province of Rome

Ostia is a large neighborhood in the XIII Municipio of the comune of Rome, Italy. Ostia (also called Ostia Lido or Lido di Roma) is also the only municipio of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea and many Romans spend the summer holidays there. Sometimes it is confused with Ostia Antica, an archaeological area, that is nearby. Ostia counts about 90,000 inhabitants.

1 History
2 Transportation
3 Notes and references
4 External links

[edit] History

The neighborhood was founded in 1884, after the reclaiming of the nearby marshland (the pond of Ostia), which was infested by Malaria. The first inhabitants were peasants coming from Ravenna, in Romagna. Thanks to the opening of the urban railroad Roma-Ostia in 1924, the new village became soon the favourite sea resort of the Romans, while many Art Nouveau houses were built on the waterfront.

The new village was connected to downtown Rome through the new Via Ostiense, which was opened in 1907. During the fascist period, the government expanded massively the neighborhood, which got its ultimate architectural character thanks to many new buildings in Stile Littorio and Rationalism. New infrastructures, like a second road to Rome (the Via del Mare), the promenade and a water airport were also built during this period.

After World War II, many bathing establishments were built on the sea side, and Ostia experienced a tourist boom. The new Cristoforo Colombo avenue connected Ostia with the EUR quarter in Rome. However, the sea pollution which became apparent during the seventies lowered the popularity of Ostia as sea resort.

The building of the Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino in 1956 made Ostia an attractive quarter for airport and airline workers.

Italian intellectual, film director and poet Pier Paolo Pasolini was assassinated near the water airport on 2nd of November, 1975.

In 1976 Ostia became part of the XIII Municipio of the comune of Rome.

Nowadays, due to the expansion of the city, only the Park of Castelfusano separates Ostia from the other quarters of Rome.

[edit] Transportation

Ostia is connected to Rome by the Roma-Lido railway, (the Freccia del Mare). It takes about 30 minutes to get from Lido Centro to Rome (Ostiense Station).

[edit] Notes and references

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