On display are objects relating to the city and everyday life within it: statues, amphorae, money, gaming chips, toys, jewelry, and objects associated with beauty care, school, and slavery. Younger visitors can take part in the hunt for Fortuna’s lost treasure chest. Where has it been hidden?

During its heyday in the 100s and 200s, Ostia was a lively trade and seafaring center with about 50,000 inhabitants. Bread and wine traveled to Rome through Ostia, along with new ideas. Dozens of different nationalities, who practiced about 20 different religions, lived in Ostia. However, the multicultural and multi-religious population seems to have lived in peaceful coexistence.

The exhibition, featuring the latest research results from ancient Ostia, is the result of longstanding international cooperation. The exhibition has been executed jointly with a project funded by the Academy of Finland and the Tampere University, Segregated or Integrated? Living and Dying in the harbour city of Ostia 300 BCE – 700 CE, the Finnish Institute in Rome, and the Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica researchers.

Objects are on loan mainly from Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. Other lenders include Museo della Civiltà Romana and Museo Nazionale Romano (Palazzo Massimo).

The exhibition is made possible by: