# Bustling Roman Metropolis found near intact outside Venice **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869 "2009-07-31T14:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/1 "2009-07-31T14:40:43Z")
> **[Latest news & breaking headlines](https://www.thetimes.com/)** > > The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment. > [@](#): > > The bustling harbour of Altinum near Venice was one of the richest cities of the Roman empire. But terrified by the impending invasion of the fearsome Germanic Emperor Attila the Hun, its inhabitants cut their losses and fled in AD452, leaving behind a ghost town of theatres, temples and basilicas. > > Altinum was never reoccupied and gradually sunk into the ground. The city lived on in Venetian folk tales and historical artefacts but its exact position, size and wealth gradually faded into obscurity. > > Now, using aerial photography of the region, Italian archaeologists have not only located the city, but have produced a detailed map revealing its remarkably intact infrastructure and showing it to be slightly larger than Pompeii. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/2 "2009-07-31T14:56:27Z")
Okay - That’s cool. You can see the roads in the fields just north of 45° 32′ 57.27″ N, 12° 24′ 3.47″ E. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/3 "2009-07-31T20:25:19Z")
Here’s the [BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8177529.stm) version with an accompanying virtual flyover. It is as they said incredible flyers departing the nearby airport hadn’t made this out before. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/4 "2009-07-31T21:53:18Z")
Should have said “ **once** -bustling.” I got all psyched up for immortal Romans. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/5 "2009-07-31T22:06:56Z")
There is so much history hidden underwater. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/6 "2009-07-31T22:12:47Z")
That is incredible. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/7 "2009-07-31T23:13:55Z")
Anyone notice that the town right there is called Altino? Memories are long indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/8 "2009-07-31T23:22:03Z")
[Google Maps link](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=45%C2%B0+32%E2%80%B2+57.27%E2%80%B3+N,+12%C2%B0+24%E2%80%B2+3.47%E2%80%B3+E&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.059939,46.845703&ie=UTF8&ll=45.551594,12.401376&spn=0.013824,0.022874&t=h&z=15) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/9 "2009-08-01T17:35:15Z")
Are they referring to that huge brown area, to the east and south of Altino? If so, that’s amazing! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bustling-roman-metropolis-found-near-intact-outside-venice/504869/10 "2009-08-01T17:39:14Z")
It ain’t bustling no more.😛 Very cool site!🆒