This course includes a study of the archaeology and topography of ancient Rome; it explains, analyzes and interprets the public and private buildings of the village that became the capital of an empire. Attention, in both lectures and on-site excursions out in the city, is paid to the location, functioning and person who commissioned the construction of these buildings. Archaeological evidence, literary and epigraphical sources are used to reconstruct the history of Rome and to understand the role that its buildings have played in conveying ideas of patronage, Roman identity, propaganda and rulership to the citizens. The course concludes with an immersive expedition out to Ostia Antica.