Lido di Ostia
| Ostia | |
|---|---|
| Frazione | |
The northern part of Ostia
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 Ostia
Location of Ostia in Italy
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| Coordinates: 41°43′59.68″N 12°16′44.18″E / 41.7332444°N 12.2789389°ECoordinates: 41°43′59.68″N 12°16′44.18″E / 41.7332444°N 12.2789389°E | |
| Country |
 Italy
|
| Region | Lazio |
| Province | Rome (RM) |
| Comune | Rome |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 85,301 |
| Demonym(s) | Ostiensi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 00121 - 00122 |
| Dialing code | 06 |
Ostia (/ˈɒstiə/) is a large neighbourhood in the X Municipio of the commune of Rome, Italy, near the ancient port of Rome, named Ostia, which is now a major archaeological site known as Ostia Antica. Ostia (also called Ostia Lido or Lido di Roma or Lido di Ostia) is also the only municipio or district of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea and many Romans spend the summer holidays there. With about 85,000 inhabitants, Ostia is the first or second-most populated frazione of Italy, depending on whether Mestre is counted.
The town is located on the Tyrrhenian coast, close to Acilia and separated from Fiumicino by the mouth of the Tiber River (Tevere).
Ostia was the site of the death of Saint Monica (mother of Saint Augustine) in 387 on their way back to Africa after Augustine's conversion to Christianity.
In the 846 a Saracen fleet of 73 ships landed at Ostia, and raided inland, sacking Rome. In doing so, they burnt the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul. The new pope Leo IV (r.847-855) ordered Rome’s walls to be rebuilt and refurbished, and had them extended to protect the Vatican hill. He also formed a naval alliance with the cities of Amalfi, Naples, and Gaeta, which drove off a Saracen fleet in 849. Three years later Pope Leo IV issued a call to the Franks, declaring "Whoever meets death steadfastly in this fight [against Moslem raiders of Italy] the Heavenly Kingdom will not be closed to him." This becomes a much quoted text among canonists of the High Middle Ages.
The neighbourhood was founded in 1884 near the remains of Ostia Antica, the port city of ancient Rome. This was possible after reclamation of the nearby marshland (the pond of Ostia), which was infested by malaria. The first inhabitants were peasants coming from Ravenna, in Romagna. Due to the opening of the urban Roma-Ostia railway in 1924, the new village soon became the favourite sea resort of the Romans, while many Art Nouveau houses were built on the waterfront.
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Wikipedia