Ancient ruins found down italian loo

Photo: Paride de Carlo

Luciano Faggiano purchased 45 Via Ascanio Grandi back in 200 with the hope of opening his own restaurant. His plans soon hit an obstacle: a broken toilet that would require repairing. Recruiting his two older sons to dig a hole and find the sewage pipe, though, the 60 year old soon realised that his loo was a Gateway to ancient Italy.

The three found underground corridors and rooms in their digging, which was initially expected to take around a week. And so they continued working, uncovering more of the country's past.

Rome is known for having its metro extension plans thwarted by ruins underground, but Lecce - in the heel of Italy's boot - is an equal source of subterranean treasures: located on the Puglia Coast, the town has seen waves of civilisations invade over the years, each leaving a trace behind.

"Whenever you dig a hole," Severo Martini, a member of the City Council, tells the New York Times, which reports the remarkable story, "centuries of history come out."

Faggiano's foraging is living proof of it, uncovering everything from a Roman granary and a Franciscan chapel to a granary used by the Romans and a tomb of the Messapians, who lived in the area centuries before the birth of Jesus.

"I made sure to tell him not to tell his mama," joked the father, who tied a rope around his 12 year old son's chest to lower him into small holes - leaving her suspicious about the cause of their dirty clothes. Soon, the truth came out and officials beame involved, leading to the creation of the "Museum Faggiano" on the site.

It was several years until he found the sewage pipe, which was broken.

He has since bought another building to turn into a restaurant.