Inside the busy Roma Termini station, nuzzled on the basement floor of a fast food restaurant, you’ll discover a fascinating piece of history – remnants of a Roman Wall at McDonald’s.
You wouldn’t expect to find ancient Roman ruins in a McDonald’s, but Rome is full of surprises. Let me share one of them with you.
When I first visited Rome in February 2023, I had some plans and places to visit. One was the Roman Wall at McDonald’s since I saw something similar before when I was in Athens: an ancient Roman tomb inside a Zara store.
It is amazing to see ancient ruins like this integrated into our modern world. Maybe I find this unusual because I come from Brazil, where ruins are never that old. Now, it was time to mix Roman ruins and Big Macs.
Located at the heart of Rome, the Roma Termini station boasts not one but two McDonald’s restaurants – one on the ground floor and another in the basement. If you choose the latter for your burger fix, you’re in for an unexpected historical treat: the remains of an ancient Roman wall.
The Servian Wall is a truly ancient Roman wall that was constructed around Rome in the 4th century B.C. The wall is said to have originated from King Servius Tullius, who was the legendary sixth king of Rome and the second of its Etruscan dynasty. King Servius Tullius ruled from 578 to 535 BC, and the wall was named after him.
The Servian Wall once fiercely defended Rome against invaders like the Gauls, who sacked Rome after the Battle of the Allia. While the mighty Aurelian Wall eventually replaced it, sections of the Servian Wall remain – remarkably, including within this McDonald’s!
This wall served as Rome’s primary defense for generations. However, with the growth of the Roman army in both strength and numbers during the early Imperial age, the Servian Wall became obsolete, eventually replaced by the Aurelian Wall, commissioned by Emperor Aurelian in 275.
History Meets Fast Food: Rome’s Quirkiest McDonald’s
During the construction of Termini station, this lesser-known Roman ruin was unearthed and seamlessly incorporated into the McDonald’s decor.
It may not be as grand as the Colosseum, as unusual as the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, or as filled with cats as the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, but experiencing this unexpected slice of ancient Rome while grabbing a Big Mac is a uniquely Roman experience.
The Roman Wall at McDonald’s is a testament to the layers of history that make Rome a city where the past and present coexist, even within the walls of a fast food joint.
And you can visit it for free while you pass the Termini station on your way elsewhere. Just follow the map below.
History with a Side of Fries: The Roman Wall at McDonald’s
Via Marsala, 25, 00185
Roma RM, Italy
