McDonald’s in Italy Embraces Off-Menu Item: Slice of Roman Road
22, 2017
MARINO, Italy — It’s a common enough story in Italy: An ancient ruin — in this case, a tract of Roman road — is discovered during the construction of a building — in this case, a McDonald’s —
and puts a halt to the work until the site can be excavated.
But the work at the McDonald’s in Marino — more precisely in the hamlet of Frattocchie, known as Bovillae in ancient times — stands out
because the project incorporated the road, which would otherwise have been reburied.
Russo said that We decided with McDonald’s to protect and promote this important site, which would have otherwise fallen again into oblivion,
Culture Ministry said that That’s the most important thing, guaranteeing its constant maintenance,
Rather than fret about lost time and money, McDonald’s decided to sponsor the dig,
and it worked with the archaeological authorities to preserve the road, built between the second and first centuries B.C.
"It’s better to protect them than to leave them exposed, when it’s not possible to properly care for them," Ms. Russo explained.
Several restaurants in Rome, for example, have an important historical or archaeological lineage, like being
the site where Julius Caesar was murdered, or a place where oil amphorae were stocked in ancient times.