Ancient Roman villa beneath high school gym reveals stunning secret from the past

Italian officials recently unveiled the remains of an ancient Roman villa found beneath a high school gym — thanks to students who brought attention to the long-rumored site.

The domus, an upscale Roman house, was found under Cavour High School, just steps away from Rome’s Colosseum.

Archaeologists unveiled the results of their excavation after presenting their findings to teachers and students at Cavour High School earlier in June.

In a statement issued by the school, Cavour High School said the domus was discovered “by chance,” beneath a gymnasium, though officials did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the find.

“Over the years, after becoming aware of these findings, school staff informed Rome’s Special Superintendency about the accidental discoveries,” the translated statement said.

“Following the planning of an intervention, work began in January 2026 to remove more recent fill material, paving the way for the archaeological excavation of the site.”

Pictures of the site released by officials show vaulted rooms with faded frescoes and decorative plasterwork, along with some modern graffiti and piles of rubble.

Claudia Marino, a history and Latin teacher at Cavour High School, told The Times of London that she initially dismissed rumors that ancient ruins were hidden beneath the school.

“Ten years ago, a student told me the story, but I didn’t give it much thought,” Marino told the publication.

It wasn’t until years later, following a student protest at the school, that Marino said she began to believe the rumors.

“When it was over, a group of students told me, ‘There really is something under the school,’” she added. “We take our pupils to have outdoor lessons on the Palatine Hill, so they know [what] they are talking about.”

“Beyond that were ancient Roman walls, a space we squeezed through — and we were in the villa.”

Marino eventually ventured to the school’s basement with her colleagues and opened up an iron door with a key — revealing the long-rumored ruins.

Beyond that were ancient Roman walls, a space we squeezed through — and we were in the villa,” she told The Times of London.

The villa contained graffiti dated 1940 and 1950, indicating the site had been accessed decades before the recent excavation.

Officials plan to eventually open the villa to the public, with students serving as guides.

The villa is one of many Roman buildings that have been discovered — or rediscovered — in recent years.

Last summer, archaeologists working on Rome’s Metro Line C project uncovered a multi-story apartment building dating to the first century B.C.

Earlier that season, a pedestrian helped discover an ancient Roman building at a highway construction site in Switzerland.