Fiumicino rises on the site of the settlement of PORTUS ROMAE, built in the first half of the 1st century AD. around the port wished for the Emperor Claudius to replace the older one of Ostia, made unusable by a progressive silting up of the seabed.
Gradually uninhabited at the time of the barbarian invasions and the Saracen incursions (5th-9th century), it appears mentioned around the year one thousand among the ecclesiastical possessions with the name of FLUMEN MICINUM.
Repopulated by fishermen, it was designed as an urban center by the famous Valadier and built around 1840; almost forty years later, following the inauguration of the railway, it experienced an important economic development. It was seriously damaged by the bombings of the Second World War, rebuilt, obtained administrative autonomy in 1992, detaching itself from the municipality of Rome. Fiumicino includes in its district the beautiful locality of Fregene which, inhabited by the Etruscans and then raised to the rank of Roman colony, declined in the following centuries due to numerous malaria epidemics, flourishing again in the modern age as a major tourist destination, a stop on the “Sweet Life”.
Fiumicino presents itself today as a coastal town of ancient origins in a well-organized modern context. Thanks to the exceptional movement of goods and passengers that gravitates to its well-known airport dedicated to “Leonardo da Vinci”, as well as the presence of well-equipped seaside resorts. The community of Fiumicino is distributed in the municipal capital, with a modern appearance, and in the localities of Aranova, Fiumicino Airport, Focene, Fregene, Isola Sacra, Palidoro, Passo Oscuro, Testa di Lepre and Torrimpietra. The municipal territory, classified as lowland, embraces a large portion of the Tyrrhenian coast and its immediate hinterland. There is also a great variety of natural environments, from the large Maccarese estate to the Macchiagrande Oasis – this wetland habitat, protected by the WWF, is rich in rare flora species and includes the Focene pond, from Lake Trajan to the extensive pine forest of Fregene, declared a national monument. The coast has wide beaches of fine sand sloping slowly towards the sea.
Fiumicino is also known for its waterways, among which we include the Tiber, its archaeological and environmental parks, first of all that of Ostia Antica where we also offer one-day excursions by bicycle, the Ship Museum. You can find more news about Fiumicino in our prepared guides for the most enjoyable excursions and experiences on our website.