politique

At this McDonald’s in Italy, your Big Mac comes with a side of ancient ruins

November 2, 20240
A McDonald’s featuring a path that connects to ancient Rome’s most famous road is in Frattocchie.

Google Maps.

Frattocchie, which was known as Bovillae in ancient Rome, is a tiny hamlet in Marino, Italy.

It is part of the Lazio region, which has a population of more than 5 million.

Frattocchie was once known as an important religious center, but its recent popularity among tourists is partly due to McDonald’s.
A board displaying the history of the archeological findings at the viewing gallery built under the McDonald’s in Frattocchie.

Gary He/McAtlas

During early archeological investigations, Rome’s Superintendency for Archaeology said it had unearthed a 150-foot-long road that diverged from the Appian Way.

The section of the road is believed to have been constructed between the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. News outlet The Local reported that travelers stopped using it three centuries later.

Archeologists discovered the path had become a burial site and contained the skeletons of three men.

McDonald’s donated 300,000 euros toward the three-year restoration, and afterward, the road was incorporated into McDonald’s restaurant design.

Today, visitors can see the ancient road as they walk over a glass floor into the restaurant.
Three skeletons were found during the excavation of this site, which were later preserved using resin cast.

Gary He/McAtlas

This restored off-shoot road is much smaller than the original highway. Yet, every corner is steeped in gritty historical details, the spookiest of which are the skeletons of three adult males embedded in the rocks.

These were found in the gutters during the excavation process and were removed. They were then replicated using resin casts of the bones.

“The rubber, applied in such a way as not to alter or damage the finds in any way, copied every minute detail of the burials,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s Italia told Newsweek.

The skeletons on display in the gallery are these recreated resin casts.

Above the glass floor, you’re transported back to the present day.
Even while placing their orders, visitors get a glimpse of the ruins underneath at this McDonald’s.

Gary He/McAtlas

This location has a McCafe integrated into the restaurant. It features the brand’s usual hot beverages as well as some desserts, like pistachio-flavored croissants and McFlurry options.

What sets it apart from other McCafe locations is the glass floor that gives diners a peek at history as they place their orders.

“McAtlas” author Gary He, who has traveled to over 100 McDonald’s around the world, told Business Insider the Frattocchie restaurant is worth visiting, naming it as one of the most unique locations he’s visited so far.

He said he was amazed the restaurant allowed visitors to walk around the road and touch everything, including the skeletons. “When I saw that, I thought, ‘Wow, this is wild,'” he said.

The McDonald’s and its adjoining archeological site are open year-round from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. local time.