ITR25 DEM CAE Visit Ostia Antica

This activity allows students to discover Ostia Antica, the ancient harbour city of Rome, where daily life, work, and trade took place almost 2 000 years ago. Italian guide acts  presenting the main streets, houses, public buildings, and harbour structures in English to the international group. The visit gives the chance to walk through a real ancient town, imagine the lives of its inhabitants, and make links with today’s ideas of citizenship, work, and urban life in Europe.

Students, following a route through some of its most representative places:

The Decumanus and city layout: they walk along the main street of Ostia, discovering how the city was organised (shops, houses, public spaces) and how people moved and met in everyday life.

Houses and insulae (apartment buildings): In groups, students explore different types of housing and learn what they tell us about social classes, family life, and living conditions in ancient Rome.

The Forum and public buildings: Guided by their Italian classmates around a discussion with the guide, students discover political, religious, and economic spaces, and discuss how power, religion, and trade were connected in the city.

Baths, theatre, and mosaics: Students visit the baths, theatre, and other leisure spaces to understand how people relaxed, met, and shared culture. They observe fantastic authentic mosaics and inscriptions, learning to “read” visual messages from the past.

Throughout the visit, guide in English, explaining historical facts, describing the ruins, and telling short stories about merchants, sailors, slaves, and citizens who lived in Ostia. The group is encouraged to ask questions, take photos, and complete a simple observation sheet (for example: “Find one place linked to work, one linked to religion, one linked to leisure”).

Students gain a vivid, concrete picture of how ordinary people lived in Ancient Rome, beyond famous monuments and emperors. They improve their English listening and speaking skills in a motivating context.

The activity strengthens their curiosity, team spirit, and sense of belonging to a long, shared European history shaped by cities, trade, and human exchanges.