Excavation and Research in the Constantinian Basilica at Ostia Antica

Research > Archaeological Fieldwork > Excavations in Italy > Excavation and Research in the Constantinian Basilica at Ostia Antica

Directors:

Norbert Zimmermann (DAI Rom);
Michael Heinzelmann (University of Cologne);
Sabine Feist (University of Bonn);
Emanuela Borgia (Sapienza).

External link:
Die konstantinische Bischofskirche von Ostia - Deutsches Archäologisches Institut

The Constantinian basilica of Ostia was identified at the end of the last century thanks to the study of aerial photographs combined with geophysical surveys. The existence of the building, founded by Constantine and known until now only from ancient sources (mainly the Liber Pontificalis), was confirmed by targeted surveys carried out in 1997-1998.

In 2023, a large-scale international project began under the direction of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome and co-directed by the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, with Sapienza University joining in to coordinate the study of the finds. The building is located in the southern part of Ostia, in the Regio V, near the Republican walls close to Porta Laurentina.

The first three excavation campaigns (2023-2025) have partly confirmed and partly enriched what was already known: it is a three-nave building, preceded by an atrium and flanked by a large apsidal hall with a circular baptistery. The ongoing investigations also concern a representative aula and the probable episcopal palace located south of the basilica. The excavations have made it possible to identify at least three phases in the life of the complex, which was in use until at least the 7th-8th century, but also to investigate the pre-existing structures and contexts relevant to the Roman insula on which the basilica was built.

The activities of the Sapienza research group focus on both excavation and the classification, documentation, and study of the finds (especially pottery). Since 2023, numerous Sapienza students have taken part in the excavation and laboratory activities as part of their training. This research is particularly important because of its international character and the opportunity it offers for ongoing discussion between scholars and students from different universities.

Collaborators:
Dario Alonzi, Marius A. Berger, Hannah Boes, Elena Busti, Mara Elefante, Dorothee Heinzelmann, Giordano Iacomelli, Asia Malatesta, Micol Mazzoli, Francesco Ronconi, Arne Schröder, Angelita Troiani, Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica

Bibliography

S. Feist – M. Heinzelmann – N. Zimmermann – E. Borgia – H. Boes – A. Schröder – M. Elefante – A. Troiani – F. Russo, Die konstantinische Bischofskirche von Ostia. Vorbericht zur ersten Grabungskampagne 2023, in: Kölner und Bonner Archaeologica 13 (2023), pp. 163–181.

S. Feist – M. Heinzelmann – N. Zimmermann – E. Borgia – H. Boes – A. Schröder – M. Elefante – A. Troiani – F. Russo, New Insights into the Building Design and Construction Phases of the Constantinian Bishop's Church at Ostia, in: RM 130 (2024), pp. 207-236.

S. Feist – M. Heinzelmann – N. Zimmermann – E. Borgia – H. Boes – A. Schröder – M. Elefante – A. Troiani – F. Russo, La chiesa episcopale costantiniana di Ostia. Rapporto preliminare della prima campagna di scavo 2023, in: Revue Belge de Philologie et Histoire 103 (2025), pp. 131-152.

M. Heinzelmann (ed.), Forma urbis Ostiae: Untersuchungen zur Entwicklung der Hafenstadt Roms von der Zeit der Republik bis ins frühe Mittelalter, Wiesbaden 2020.

Further details about this research:

Research type: Excavation in Italy
Location of the excavation: Ostia Antica, Roma, Italia
Research topic: Roman Archaeology
Fundings: DFG

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