Just an hour’s drive from the centre of one of Italy’s most iconic cities, which welcomes several million visitors each year, lies a seaside town that has been labelled a less-than-desirable beach holiday destination.

According to Tim Jepson from The Telegraph, Ostia was rated the second-ugliest seaside town in Europe, just behind Monaco.

“When I lived in Rome the temptation during broiling summers was to head to the beach. Though not for a week in glorious Sardinia, say, but – as I was young, foolish and poor – for a day trip to the city’s ‘local’ beach, or beaches, at Ostia and Fiumicino. Mistake.” 

Mr Jepson added: “Even for someone still with little by way of comparison, beach-wise, it was clear that while the sand at least looked more or less OK, the water really was to be avoided.” 

“Ranks of modern apartment blocks as a backdrop, with barely a hint of greenery, didn’t help. Perhaps the water is better these days: I’ve never dared go back.”

Ostia is a large neighbourhood near the ancient port of Rome, which is now a major archaeological site known as Ostia Antica.

It is the only district of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea and is, therefore, a top destination for Romans for their summer holidays, boating the position as the city’s seaside resort. 

During ancient Roman times, Ostia was strategically important for trade, especially for the supply of grain and as the main base of the Roman navy. 

The ancient city of Ostia stood at a strategic point near the mouth of the Tiber and the sea, which at the time was closer to the city. The modern seaside resort, Lido di Ostia, is actually located about three miles south-west of the ancient city and about 17.4 miles from the centre of Rome.

The naming of Ostia as one of the “ugliest seaside towns in Europe” by the publication caused an outcry among residents in the coastal resort, as well as Romans who spend their summers there. 

Mario Falconi, president of Rome’s X borough which includes Ostia, hit back at the ranking, saying he felt it necessary to “strongly defend the extraordinary beauty and uniqueness of our territory”, Wanted in Rome reported.

“Let’s defend Ostia, our sea, our identity!” Falconi wrote on social media, adding that the Italian environmental agency ARPA had certified Ostia’s water quality as “excellent” for a third year in a row.

He also highlighted the unique archaeological heritage of Ostia Antica, which attracts visitors from all over the world each year. 

Ostia Antica is noted for its excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, impressive frescoes and mosaics. Its remains have been celebrated for important insights into a city of commercial importance. 

Among its top must-see structures are the ancient Roman theatre and the Via di Diana, as well as the Museo Ostiense, which houses a number of the excavations uncovered at the site, from marble fragments to oil lamps and burned animal bones.