Subway stations with museums open near Rome’s Colosseum

Rome’s Colosseum area, notorious for its traffic snarls, has opened two subway stations, one beneath the heritage structure and one as the next stop to it, as part of its multibillion-euro Metro C line project.

The subway plan, costing approximately $8.3 billion for 31 stations, has nearly 24 stations open now. Two inaugurated this week, the Colosseo and Porta Metronia stations, sit several meters underground and double as archaeological museums.

At the Colosseo station, passengers can view first-century thermal baths, ceramic artifacts, and ancient stone wells through glass displays, with digital screens explaining the excavation process that delayed the project for years.

The Porta Metronia features displays of ancient bronze coins, jewelry, and remnants of a military barracks.

Construction of the Metro C subway line has been underway for 20 years and is expected to be completed by 2035. 

Once finished, it is projected to help 800,000 passengers daily avoid surface traffic gridlock.