Civitavecchia-Rome

About Civitavecchia-Rome

Civitavecchia is Rome's cruise port, 50 miles northwest of the capital on the Tyrrhenian coast. Most passengers board motorcoach or train transfers for the 80–90 minute trip to the Vatican, Colosseum, and Trevi Fountain. Independent travelers can catch a regional train to Roma Termini in 70–80 minutes. The port itself offers a small fortress (Forte Michelangelo) but little else — plan on a Rome-centric day.

• Civitavecchia's name literally means 'Ancient Town' (from Latin Civitas Vetus), and its harbour was originally built by the Emperor Trajan around 106–109 AD — the hexagonal inner basin he designed is still visible today.
• The port sits 60 km west-northwest of Rome and serves as the Italian capital's primary cruise and ferry gateway, handling millions of passengers annually.
• Michelangelo is credited with designing part of the fortifications of the Forte Michelangelo, the 16th-century fortress that still dominates the harbour entrance.
• During World War II, Civitavecchia was heavily bombed by Allied forces in 1943–44 to disrupt Axis supply lines; American engineers subsequently cleared hundreds of mines from the harbour.
• The port is the main ferry hub connecting mainland Italy with Sardinia, Sicily, and Corsica, serving both freight and millions of tourist passengers each year.