Visitors can now explore reconstructions of the ancient Roman port city using their own phones or immersive headsets.Visitors to Ostia Antica can step into the ancient Roman port city through virtual reality, from 10 November, with a free app and headset experiences designed to bring its ruins back to life.  The multimedia project, called Virtual Ostia, covers the Ostia excavations and the Imperial Ports of Claudius and Trajan in Fiumicino, as well as other sites run by the archaeological park.   How the app works The free "Ostia antica" app is available on the App Store and Google Play. Visitors point their smartphone at the information panels placed beside monuments, which then unlock extra content.   This includes translations of the panel texts into 11 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, European Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. The app also offers images and drawings, further reading, and 360° panoramic photos of buildings closed to the public for conservation and safety reasons.   READ ALSO: New train station for Ostia Antica as Italy plans UNESCO bid for ancient site Some panels show virtual reconstructions of the monuments, created from the visitor’s actual viewpoint. These can be viewed in 2D on the phone screen, or in 3D using VR glasses that can be hired at ticket offices for €2.   Around 50 of the 200 panels have reconstructions, spread across Ostia, the Imperial Ports, the Isola Sacra necropolis, the Laurentina necropolis, Julius II’s Castle and minor sites. Immersive headset experiences For a deeper experience, visitors can buy an optional "plus" ticket, separate from standard admission, to use standalone VR headsets at assisted stations. There are four itineraries in all.   At Ostia, two routes are available in an arch of the Theatre. The first begins at Porta Romana, the city’s ancient entrance, and follows part of the Decumanus Maximus into the Baths of Neptune, where visitors can see the rooms and floor mosaics up close. It continues to the Square of the Guilds and ends in the Theatre, where visitors watch the close of a performance in the golden light of sunset.   The second route runs through the city centre from Via di Diana, with its multi-storey apartment blocks and shops. It passes the House of Diana and the Thermopolium, an ancient snack bar, before ending in the Forum. Both routes are paired with a virtual visit to the Caupona del Pavone, an ancient tavern.   At Casale Torlonia in the Imperial Ports area in Fiumicino, visitors take the role of a sailor on a ship that sails from open sea into Claudius’s harbour and on to Trajan’s hexagonal basin, surrounded by warehouses and busy quays.   A further experience, a funeral procession, will be added at the Laurentina necropolis once it opens to the public, expected by 2027. Scientific approach The reconstructions are photorealistic and can be viewed in 360°, with no fixed viewpoint. They are based on laser-scan surveys, excavation records, historical drawings and the work of architect Italo Gismondi. The project follows the London Charter and Seville Principles, international guidelines for heritage visualisation, and was developed by the company Katatexilux under the park’s scientific supervision.   Alfonsina Russo, head of the culture ministry’s heritage department, said technology “must enrich” a visit, not replace it. The project was funded with more than €798,000 from the Development and Cohesion Fund, plus about €930,000 from the Lazio Region’s S.T.Ar.T. Ostia project. Practical information The plus ticket costs €5 for Ostia and €3 for Portus, and can be bought at ticket offices or online through CoopCulture. At Portus, the headset experience is available only on Saturdays and Sundays.

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  New train station for Ostia Antica as Italy plans UNESCO bid for ancient site