Caput Mundi: Intervention of restoration, research and enhancement of the archaeological area of the Ostiense Burial Ground (including St. Paul's crag)

Caput Mundi Next Generation EU for touristic great events (Mission 1, Component 3, Investment 4.3)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan increases the number of accessible tourist sites in Rome, creating valid and qualified tourist and cultural alternatives with respect to the crowded central areas, as well as increasing the use of digital technologies, enhance green areas and the sustainability of tourism. The investment envisages six lines of interventions:
1. “Roman Cultural Heritage for EU-Next Generation”, covering the regeneration and restoration of cultural and urban heritage and complexes of high historical-architectural value of the city of Rome;
2. “Jubilee paths” (from pagan to Christian Rome), targeted to the enhancement, safety, anti-seismic consolidation, restoration of places and buildings of historical interest and archaeological pathways;
3. #LaCittàCondivisa, covering the redevelopment of sites in peripheral areas;
4. #Mitingodiverde, covering interventions on parks, historical gardens, villas and fountains;
5. #Roma 4.0, covering the digitalization of cultural services and the development of apps for tourists;
6. #Amanotesa, aimed at increasing the supply of cultural offer to peripheries for social integration.

The investment is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility by EUR 500 million and includes this project.
The planned works include the conservative restoration of wall structures and improvements to the spatial coherence of the Basilica of the Cemetery of Damasus. Accessibility will be enhanced by connecting currently inaccessible areas, and new lighting will highlight the site and enable evening visits. Safety measures will be implemented, including signage and escape routes. This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 1190000. The intervention will include the following activities: Safety and usability interventions: removal of difference in height to promote accessibility; insertion of fall-from-height protection devices and prohibition of access to the most fragile environments; demolition of masonry stairs and replacement with metal stairs; protection of the walking surface of internal paths with non-woven fabric and stabilised gravel; construction of fencing, accesses and internal paths within the area of the Crag. Conservation and restoration interventions: removal of weed vegetation, inconsistent deposits, and corrosive agents from surfaces; restoration and consolidation of wall structures, grouting of lesions, construction and revision of top cases; cleaning and restoration of the decorative apparatuses and ceramic and stone artefacts in the areas; routine and extraordinary maintenance for at least three years after the intervention. Enhancement and museumlisation interventions: setting up of panels and educational aids, placement of casts and artefacts in areas not occupied by archaeological structures; landscaping of the green area with new plantings; inclusion of explanatory elements with interactive mode (panels, electronic devices, educational reconstructions); recovery of artefacts stored in warehouses, restoration and placement in the area.