In 2014, construction workers preparing the foundation for a new McDonald’s in Marino expected concrete and plumbing. Instead, they uncovered something far older and far more extraordinary—a 45-meter stretch of ancient Roman road, remarkably preserved beneath the modern Italian town.
As excavations began, archaeologists quickly realized they were standing on a piece of the Roman Empire’s vast infrastructure network. The stone-paved roadway, carefully engineered with fitted basalt blocks, once formed part of the arteries that connected settlements around Rome to the surrounding countryside. These roads were masterpieces of durability, designed to endure centuries of traffic from soldiers, merchants, and civilians moving across the empire.
But the discovery did not stop at stonework. Along the edges of the road, archaeologists uncovered three skeletons, laid to rest near the ancient route. Burials alongside roads were common in Roman times, as laws prohibited interment within city walls. These individuals, whose identities remain unknown, had silently guarded the roadway for nearly two millennia before being brought back into the light.
Rather than halting the project entirely, an unusual collaboration took shape. Under the supervision of Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l’Area Metropolitana di Roma, the site was carefully excavated, documented, and restored. In a striking fusion of past and present, McDonald’s funded the preservation effort and redesigned the restaurant to incorporate the ancient remains directly into the building.
Today, visitors entering the Marino location are greeted not only by the scent of fries but by history itself. A glass floor panel allows diners to peer down at the original Roman road and the excavated burials beneath their feet. It is a surreal juxtaposition—modern fast food layered above imperial engineering—yet it reflects Italy’s unique relationship with its past, where ancient history frequently intersects with everyday life.
The Marino McDonald’s stands as an unexpected reminder that the Roman Empire is never far below the surface. Beneath the hum of conversation and the glow of digital menu boards lies a silent stone pathway once walked by citizens of antiquity—proof that in Italy, even a casual meal can come with a side of history.