Ostia Antica: Walk across a 2400 years old road and other Rome, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

Ostia Antica Scavi (= the excavations, because there is also a medieval village and the "new" Traian harbour to see) is a surprise: it is quite a good and rich ancient site, less famous than Pompei or Ercolano, but you can easily "read" its roads, its houses, its blocks, its shops... You can nearly feel like living in Roman age...
Just walk along a 2400 years old road....
To go there (about 20 km, near the sea) you can just take metro B to Piramide, and than jump on a train of the Ostiense line: all with the same metro ticket. Stop at Ostia Scavi and cross the walking bridge.

The pictures were taken in december (ok, not exactly high season) but the place was really empty in the morning... To stroll around nearly alone is a big plus

Update: If you are a Google Earth user (if not consider, it... it's a real useful toy for travellers) you may find here some
Google earth landmarks on Ostia Antica: click on the file after having installed the google earth software, and you will be macigally walking across the ancient Ostia!

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Website: http://www.ostia-antica.org/

Well, it's not so off the beaten path, but somehow many people, going to the Colosseo pass near the little church of S. Pietro in Vincoli (something like St. Peter in Chains), and do not enter it.
Big mistake!
Inside there is this big statue (part of the monumental tomb of a Pope) of Moses.
Legend is that the author, when finished, was so overcome by its life-like features, that he exclaimed, 'Speak! Why don't you speak to me?' hitting the statue's knee with its hammer (there is a little sign, in fact).
Oh, the author was someone called Michelangelo.... no need to tell last name was Buonarroti!
Do not miss it!
By the way, the name of the curch cames from the legend that Eudossia, wife of roman Emperor Valentiniano III, had the chains that held St. Peter prisoner in Jerusalem, ad made a gift of them to the Pope Leone Magno (the one who stopped the barbarian king Attila near Garda lake). When these chains touched the other that held St. Peter when jailed in Rome (legend says...) the two sets of chains fused and merged together.......
Oh, the chains are on display in the church.... if you like that sort of legend... (I guess with very weak historical basis)

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