See ruins from a new perspective

For travellers bussing into the heart of Rome from Termini station or locals changing lines on their daily commutes, the Largo di Torre Argentina archaeological area (left) once seemed like little more than a transport hub. The below-ground ruins of four Roman temples and a theatre were so overshadowed by public transit commotion that the ancient past simply faded further into the background. The star of the show is none other than the Theatre of Pompey – where Julius Caesar was assassinated – though the ruins were blocked by medieval buildings until the 1920s, when Mussolini went on a bulldozing blitz of congested areas. Happily, 2023 brought Largo di Torre Argentina’s biggest development in nearly a century: platforms were installed to make the area walkable (and wheelchair accessible), allowing visitors to engage with the space in ways unimaginable from above ground.

Further incentive to explore the ancient world: each Sunday, a new high-speed direct train now connects Rome to the archaeological park of Pompeii, near Naples, taking less than two hours each way. Despite the crystallised city’s popularity, the route previously involved train switches, slower speeds and travel on a famously erratic Neapolitan rail network. Now, after sipping your morning coffee in the shadow of St Peter’s – knocking back a macchiato at the elegant Sciascia Caffè (sciasciacaffe1919.it) in Prati, standing at the bar and mixing with the well-heeled local crowd – you can pop down to see Pompeii in comfort and be back in Rome in time to eat amatriciana for dinner.