REGIONES OSTIENSES NOTA SULLA SUDDIVISIONE DI OSTIA TRA L’ANTICHITÀ E L’ETÀ CONTEMPORANEA

Abstract

This contribution will outline the history of the modern partition of Ostia according to the topographic
system ‘Quarter, Block, Building’ (Regione, Isolato, Edificio), introduced in the 20th century
and still adopted today in scientific and administrative contexts. Its definition seems to be based
on the division of Rome known from written sources, but there are well-founded epigraphic elements
that also suggest a division of the ancient city of Ostia into at least five regions. On the basis of this
epigraphic evidence and looking also to Pompeii, an initial definition was drawn up, later refined
by Guido Calza in the 1920s and definitively adopted with the conclusion of the excavations for the
1942 Universal Exhibition. Since then, the Ostia topographic system has been used in all major
scientific publications and its use is also planned in the management GIS being developed by the
Parco Archeologico di Ostia antica.

Keywords: Ostia antica; topografia; regiones; vici; compita; Lodovico Paschetto; Guido Calza;
Roma; Pompei.