Excavation of the area.
Pope Pius IX had been fascinated by the ruins discovered in the excavations that had been done up to the tomb of Caecilia Metella and so he ordered excavation and restoration of the road to the ruins of Bovillae. This continued for five months in 1851 when the unhealthy air of the swamps made the work impossible to continue. During this time almost 2 miles were uncovered and over 400 monuments found. The Pope ordered that the monuments be left in situ, being perhaps the first archaeologist in Italy to not remove finds to museums.