Plinio, Cicerone and Virgilio describe in their works the famous Ardeatina temples, praising the splendor and magnificence of them. There were in Ardea different places of worship dedicated to Hercules, Aphrodite and Juno Regina. The latter was among the most important shrines of the Latin League, splendid for its decorations in polychrome terracotta and magnificent for its size.
In the Civita Vecchia, nearby Casarinaccio place, there are the remains of this extraordinary temple begun in the VIth century before Christ and rebuilt in the IVth century before Christ, in coincidence with the considerable level of the economic, political and social development attained in the orientalized age by the Rutuli town.
Here was found the famous epigraph of priestess Veleda preserved, along with antefixes and votives related to the Temple, in the storehouses of the National Museum of Villa Giulia.
In the Forum area are also visible the remains of the basilica with three naves divided by peperino columns, dating the Ist century before Christ and stretches of paving in opus signinum. Recent excavations organized by Francesco Di Mario, member of the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Lazio, have brought to light the thermal plants placed in the Forum area.
The environments of frigidarium and tepidarium are recognizable together with a large cistern divided into three rooms and covered with cocciopesto. Another archaic temple of the Vth century before Christ is located nearby the Colle della Noce place. Below the templar structure remains of houses from the Iron Age and a vast necropolis were found.
