Cool Finds

These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basement

Students at a high school in Rome stumbled upon a well-preserved villa that dates to the mid-second century C.E. Eventually, archaeologists hope to open the sprawling space to the public

Meilan Solly | Senior Associate Digital Editor, History

June 8, 2026 4:01 p.m.

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In January 2021, students at a high school across the street from the Colosseum came up with a bold plan. Angered by plans to extend remote learning to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the teenagers occupied their school, spending several nights camped out in the building in protest.

When the demonstration ended, participants told Claudia Marino, a history and Latin teacher at the school, that they’d stumbled upon something significant. Marino and her colleagues investigated the tip, following the students’ directions to a locked door in the basement.

“We found the key, entered, and we were in an old, disused boiler room,” Marino tells the London Times’ Tom Kington. “Beyond that were ancient Roman walls.” When they climbed through an opening, they found themselves in an ancient villa adorned with frescoes and decorative stucco.

Marino brought the discovery to the attention of the Special Superintendency of Rome, a government agency tasked with preserving the Italian capital’s cultural heritage. Excavations at the site began in September 2025, and archaeologists presented their findings to the public on May 28.

According to a statement, the domus, or private dwelling, dates to the mid-second century C.E., when legendary Roman emperors including Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius presided over vast swaths of territory in Europe, Asia and Africa. Excavations conducted in 1895, ahead of the opening of a new road, had uncovered a section of the villa. But in the decades that followed, the site was forgotten.

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. One room features a mosaic crafted with large tiles of varying shapes, a style that was popular at the time. Another space is decorated with floral designs and depictions of human figures.

The area where the villa was found boasts its own rich history. Located between the Carinae and the Esquiline Hill in central Rome, the neighborhood once housed estates owned by Cicero, Pompey and Octavian, three central figures in the late Roman Republic. Although written records of this residential area survive today, archaeologists have found little physical evidence of it, as modern construction has damaged the ancient structures.

Researchers have recovered enough artifacts from the villa to fill 48 crates. Finds include an amphora (a vessel used to store olive oil, wine and other goods) and drinking cups that date to later periods in Roman history.

Workers who constructed the school building in the late 19th century “either did not notice the villa or just ignored it,” the Times notes. But archaeologists who excavated the site a decade or two later took note of the ancient dwelling. These researchers identified inscriptions on lead water pipes that revealed the names of two of the house’s onetime occupants: L. Fabius Gallus and Umbria Albina.

The students who found a way into the ruins weren’t the first amateur explorers to rediscover the site. Some of the graffiti scrawled on the walls of the villa dates to between 1920 and 1950, when the building was occupied by a religious order. Other markings are more recent, perhaps left by students at the high school. As Marino tells the Times, students have long speculated that ancient structures were hidden beneath the school.

“Ten years ago, a student told me the story,” the teacher recalls, “but I didn’t give it much thought.”

The 2025-26 excavation only unearthed part of the villa. Experts believe that the rest of the structure is much larger, but further investigation will require additional funding. Ultimately, la Repubblica reports, archaeologists hope to open the site to students and tourists alike, making this hidden piece of history available for “public enjoyment.”

Meilan Solly | Read More

Meilan Solly is a senior associate digital editor at Smithsonian magazine, where she oversees the online history section. Solly's specialties are Tudor England, medieval Europe and World War II.