Most people will at some stage find themselves very near these ancient ruins but will probably not realise they are there. I only recently found them and that was by accident because I happened to walk right past. They sit just around the right hand corner from the large and un-missable Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. It's just a very quick diversion and will only take a few minutes. What you see here are the ruins of what was essentially an ancient block of apartments. They date back to the first 2 decades of the second century AD and give an amazing example of how the normal Romans lived in ancient times. It is estimated that about 350 - 400 people lived here. If you look down from the street level, you can see quite a lot. Originally there would have been 5 floors in total. Shops were located on the ground floor (9 metres below the current ground level) and residential housing sat above that. What’s left is a pretty substantial structure, considering its age. A large amount of ancient brick walls are still standing. So are the portico arches where the shops would have been, as well as columns and doorways. Most striking is the bell tower and a fresco, both of which can be clearly seen from the pavement. The fresco is still quite distinct and shows Christ descending from the cross, with Mary and St John on either side. A large information board provides a brief description, some photos and a floor plan.

Insula dell'Ara Coeli is a remnant of the second century building that served as the residence of city residents. These blocks are called the Italian Insula Romana and literally mean the "Roman island". This remnant is an example of public housing that was common in ancient Rome. It is estimated that around 400 inhabitants lived in this block of buildings. It is a beautiful place.