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Big Macs garnished with French fries are one of the most popular orders at McDonald's restaurants around the world. How about an ancient history lesson over lunch? The unique restaurant of this fast food chain, which opened near Rome, has this to offer. How you can combine a trip to the archaeological museum with the purchase of food to go, further in the review.
Archaeological surprise
In 2014, the global takeout giant began construction of a retail outlet near Marino, Italy. It is located about two dozen kilometers south of the center of Rome. As bulldozers began digging the ground to lay the foundations for the restaurant, workers stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient Roman road. The archaeological find dates back to around 312 BC.
Of course, the discovery of this kind of archaeological ruins is not unusual in Italy. This nation has an extremely rich, centuries-old history dating back to the great Roman Empire.
What is unusual in this case is that the network has decided to help fund the excavation of the site. In addition, it is not just to help preserve it, but to make it publicly available. The project proposed to provide a general view of the archaeological site in the gallery adjacent to the restaurant building. Now, in addition to ordering French fries, people can have a ton of fun getting in touch with ancient history. Now, while having a snack, there will be something to think about.
McDonald's - fans of ancient history
McDonald's has invested over US $ 300,000 in the project. It was implemented jointly with the Italian Ministry of Culture. The ministry's senior archaeologist, Alfonsina Russo, said that in all likelihood, the road "probably led to a wealthy villa or large estate." They stopped using it, probably in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. Along with a small amount of artifacts left over from the construction of the road, the skeletons of three men were found. They are part of the exhibits under glass in the gallery adjacent to the restaurant.
Although the gallery is accessible to everyone, not just McDonald's customers, it is fenced in. At the entrance, a gate and video surveillance cameras are installed, allowing you to track access to it. Excavation is the easiest part of the job, Russo says. The problem arises when a monument of ancient history needs to be protected and looked after. McDonald's has pledged to cover all ongoing maintenance costs.
World giant and glorious Italian past
In the mid-1980s, McDonald's opened its first outlet in Italy. Now the global giant has 560 points across the country. But in all of these endeavors, the company has never faced a similar problem, according to Mario Federico, managing director of McDonald's Italia. He said his company was determined to do everything they could to keep the road safe and accessible to everyone. “We are proud to be here, opening this Roman road,” said Federico.
He noted that this is the only time when it was required to make such unusual decisions during the construction of a new outlet. Of course, given the glorious past of Italy and its centuries-old history, such an incident may not be the last.
In ancient times, the village that is now called Frattochie was known as Bovilli.It is not adjacent to other iconic Italian tourist attractions. However, the exhibits have accompanying text in English and Italian. This is done for the convenience of local residents and in case the visitors of the chain came here on an excursion.
It has been exactly three years since the inauguration of the cornerstone in 2014 until the opening of this outlet, and since then this restaurant has shown the best results. It cannot be otherwise, because it is such a unique case when business and culture came together. It's nice how successful the symbiosis of ancient Roman history and corporate interests turned out to be. Everyone won. McDonald's diners can now grab a bite to eat while contemplating Italy's incredible history. Isn't that wonderful?
If you are interested in history, read our article on what codes and secrets Michelangelo left in his greatest masterpiece: 7 facts about the Sistine Chapel.
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