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.SHOPPERS AT POPULAR MARKETPLACE WALKED OVER 'VILE' DUNGEON AS ARCHAEOLOGISTS CITE 'REMARKABLE' FINDSIn 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.Italian officials recently unveiled the remains of an ancient Roman villa discovered beneath Rome's Cavour High School near the Colosseum.(Cantieri Narranti)"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.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERClaudia 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.Officials said work began in January 2026 to clear fill material and allow archaeologists to excavate the buried structure.
(Cantieri Narranti)"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 rumo...