Rome’s new metro stations have opened—and they are unique in the world

After 12 long years of construction, two new stops on Rome’s Metro Line C have been inaugurated: Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia. These museum-stations represent a key segment in the capital’s public transport enhancement plan and a remarkable example of integration between modern infrastructure and archaeological heritage.

The two archaeologically inspired stations, built for the City of Rome by the Metro C consortium led by Vianini Lavori and Webuild, were designed to protect and showcase the archaeological findings uncovered during excavation. The extraordinary cultural richness of the area was one of the most delicate aspects of this extensive engineering project, which was approached with technologically advanced solutions. In particular, the adoption of the “archaeological top-down” technique allowed the construction of intermediate floors progressively, following the excavation from top to bottom, ensuring both structural stability and continuity of archaeological investigations. This approach also enabled a rethinking of urban mobility, allowing it to harmoniously integrate the historical stratification of the site.

At Colosseo–Fori Imperiali, located approximately twenty meters below ground, passengers pass through spaces that tell centuries of Roman history while engaging directly with the monumental context. The museum pathway, curated and funded by the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo with contributions from the Department of Architecture and Project of Sapienza University, is organised into five thematic areas that guide visitors from the entrance down to the platform level.

The central narrative of the museographic design, created by Filippo Lambertucci and Andrea Grimaldi, is the theme of the well, conceived as a metaphor for a journey into the underground and through history. Selected artifacts recovered during the excavations — including 28 Republican-era wells, the balneum of a domus dating from the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE, and an imperial domus with frescoes — are displayed across multiple levels alongside dioramas and video installations, offering a visual dialogue between past and present that balances cultural value with the functional role of public transport.

Slightly further south, Porta Metronia reveals another chapter of ancient Rome. Excavations here uncovered traces of military and civilian life, including a Roman barracks with the commander’s house, which will be included in a museum set to open in the coming months, connected to the station via an underground square with separate entrances.

The extension of Line C into this strategic area significantly improves connections between the eastern districts and the monumental center, creating new interchanges with other metro lines and offering a real alternative to surface traffic. But the project’s value, as Alfonsina Russo, former Director of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, explained, goes beyond its functional aspect: "This is an important intervention in the enhancement of cultural heritage within a key infrastructure for both citizens and tourists, an example of how preventive archaeology can become an opportunity to share new knowledge with the community".