Portus

Portus was the great artificial sea harbour through which ancient Rome organised its supplies from across the empire. Emperor Claudius began building it in 46 CE because the older harbour at Ostia had silted up; Emperor Trajan extended it around 110 CE with an artificial hexagonal inner basin still visible from the air when flying into Rome-Fiumicino. Each day grain from Egypt, olive oil from Spain and marble from Africa were unloaded here and reloaded onto smaller boats that sailed up the Tiber to Rome. Today Portus sits inside the Fiumicino archaeological park, right next to the airport. The hexagonal Trajan basin is still recognisable as a lake, together with warehouses, storerooms and the imperial palace.