The Borgo at Ostia Antica

One of the very first borghi I ever saw was that of Ostia Antica, and it was love at first sight.   It is quite small, tiny even compared to others, but the thing that is best about it is that it is still lived in.

Outside the walls

Even on the busy street in modern Ostia outside the walls, (which are actually lived in too) you get an idea of how quaint it's going to be inside. Once through the narrow archway into the Borgo itself,

Inside there are wide open spaces

 you are surprised by the wide-open spaces, light, cleanliness and good upkeep of this tiny village.  And it's so pretty!  Look at this house in the wall.

House in the wall

 There are no derelict buildings in here. Situated just across the road from the old Roman ruins at Ostia, this medieval village stands under the shadow of an enormous (relatively speaking) castle.

The Borgo lies under the shadow of a castle

 I would love to be able to tell you about the castle too, but in the 15 years we’ve lived here, we’ve never found the place open!  Just once we passed by the gate and saw people there and I grabbed hold of Vito’s hand and dragged him forward. 

“Quick, quick, it’s actually open, let’s go in and see it finally”, only to reach the gate as it was closed in our faces.

The gate always seems closed!

“Sorry, no more visitors today, we’re closing in a few minutes”  

I sometimes wonder if we will ever see inside! 

A local restaurant owner once told us that the castle is one of only three in Europe with a ramp large enough to take a horse from the ground floor to the upper floors.  Apparently there was once a Pope didn’t like walking upstairs to bed, and the walkway was built so that he could ride his horse to his bedroom.  I have no idea if this is true or not as I’ve never been inside and can’t confirm.  However that’s the story we were told!

Narrow streets

 It doesn’t take long to walk round the borgo, as there are only a few narrow streets, a wide-open piazza and a picturesque church

Picturesque church

 popular with young couples as the ideal place to have a wedding.  Many a time we've been there to see a newly married couple having the photos taken in this charming setting.

Popular for weddings

Near Christmas time if you go through a gate to the right of the church, and you walk into a tiny garden you will see a door that leads into a room that houses the presepe - a little scene of the nativity that is found outside all churches in Rome over the Christmas period.  

The borgo is geared to tourists on account of the church and castle (which presumably must open sometimes), but it is also within very easy reach of Rome.   For all that I’ve never seen it packed to the hilt with people even at the height of the summer season.  

Houses with a history

There are several restaurants and cafés, places where you can sit indoors or outside, and we’ve spent many a pleasant evening at a restaurant there.  It’s somewhere where we always take visitors and I’m sure many reading this will recognise the place!  Go out of season, or maybe midweek when they are not so busy and a restaurant owner will probably take the time of day to give you a bit of history about the borgo and the building where the restaurant is situated, as of course all the buildings were built centuries ago and have a history of their own. The thing I love best about Ostia Antica though is the pure mix of old and modern.  I love looking down the old narrow streets and seeing a very modern motorbike leaning up against a wall,

Old roads new modes of transport!

 and the houses surrounded by pots and plants put out by their owners.

Houses framed by flowers

  In summer there are always a few lazy fat cats sloping around, or lying in the sun.  The inhabitants of the borgo are incredibly polite all things considered, shutting front doors with a quiet firm hand rather than hurling abuse at the nosy intrusions of tourists (and people like me) who would love to take a closer look inside their homes with a camera.

Doors firmly closed against snoopers!

 Vito is forever hissing at me to put my camera down when we go there, but I can’t help it, it’s like a living museum in so many ways.  So, if you find yourself with a day to spare when in Rome, take a trip down to see the Borgo at Ostia Antica for a gentle stroll and a trip back into medieval times.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  If you want to know more about the castle of Julius II you can read about it here.  Click on the headings for more details :)