Roman Villa Unearthed Beneath Rome High School After Student Protest

In January 2021, students at a high school opposite the Colosseum occupied the building to protest an extension of remote learning. After the protest they reported a locked basement door. History teacher Claudia Marino, following their directions, opened the door, entered a disused boiler room, and found ancient Roman walls leading to an underground villa with frescoes, stucco and a mosaic.

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The villa, a domus, dates to the mid-second century CE, when emperors Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius ruled a vast empire. It lies between the Carinae and the Esquiline Hill, an area once home to estates of Cicero, Pompey and Octavian. Earlier excavations in 1895 uncovered a fragment, but the full structure remained unknown.

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Key participants include the protesting students, teacher Claudia Marino, the Special Superintendency of Rome (the heritage authority), and journalist Valentina Lupia who reported on the preservation state. Timeline: January 2021 – student protest and discovery; September 2025 – official excavation began; May 28 2026 – findings presented publicly.

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Archaeologists recovered enough material to fill 48 crates, including an amphora, drinking cups, and lead-pipe inscriptions naming former occupants L. Fabius Gallus and Umbria Albina. The mosaic features large-tile designs, and the underground rooms are exceptionally well preserved. The discovery provides rare physical evidence of a high-status residential quarter previously known only from literary sources, linking modern education with Rome’s ancient heritage.

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The Special Superintendency of Rome confirmed the domus dates to the mid-second century CE and highlighted its exceptional preservation. It announced plans to seek additional funding to complete the excavation and to develop the site as an educational venue. Students criticized the school’s remote-learning policy as inadequate, describing their occupation as a direct protest against the measure.

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Excavations have so far uncovered only a portion of the villa; experts believe the remaining structure is considerably larger. Funding constraints and the need for further archaeological work leave the full extent of the site undetermined.

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• “We found the key, entered, and we were in an old, disused boiler room,” — Claudia Marino, Teacher

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• “Beyond that were ancient Roman walls.” — Claudia Marino, Teacher

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• “ When archaeologists surveyed the site, they were surprised to find that the villa’s rooms, almost all of which are underground, were incredibly well preserved, Valentina Lupia reports for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.” — Valentina Lupia, La Repubblica

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• “Ten years ago, a student told me the story,” — Claudia Marino, Teacher

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• “Workers who constructed the school building in the late 19th century “either did not notice the villa or just ignored it,” the Times notes.” — The Times

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The Superintendency plans to request additional funding to continue excavations, map the villa’s full layout, and eventually create a visitor pathway. Educational programs are being designed to involve local schools, aiming to make the site a public learning resource.

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