The medieval town of Ostia Antica, next to the ancient roman city with its archeological site, is a fortified village built between 842 and 843 by Pope Gregory IV and at that time named Gregoriopolis.
The location had a very important role: check the river Tiber from the saracen raids. Infact only a few years later the local peasants were able to stop the turkish soldiers and the story is told by the hand of Raphael in his colourful frescos inside the Vatican. For the same safety reasons, centuries later, the Pope Julius II commissioned a castle to Baccio Pontelli, the architect of the Sistine Chapel, which unfortunately lost its role when the river changed its flow in 1557 after a major flood.
Nowdays the neighborhood is quiet, authentic, colourful and worth a visit.
