Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Glymur
Bones on display in the museum.
RSU Anatomy Museum
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The Phono Museum features decades of different sound technology.
Phono Museum Paris
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
1 day ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
2 days ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
4 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Rome Servian Wall at McDonald's
Gastro Obscura

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.

Rome, Italy

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Servian Wall at McDonald’s   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

McDonald's may be one of the last places you'd expect to see the remains of an ancient structure, but in Rome, that's not outside the realm of possibility. 

In the heart of the city, the Roma Termini station is home to two McDonald’s, one on the ground floor and another located on the basement floor. If you stop in for an order of McNuggets at the latter, you can't help but notice their unusual decorations: the ruins of an ancient Roman wall.

The Servian Wall was constructed around the city of Rome during the 4th century B.C. The outline of the wall possibly dates back to the times of King Servius Tullius, for which it garnered its name. The wall stood for generations as the first line of defense against the Gauls and Carthaginians. By the early Imperial age, the wall became unnecessary as the Roman army grew in number and power. Eventually, it was superseded by the Aurelian Wall constructed by Emperor Aurelian in 275.

The remains of the Servian Wall can be spotted at numerous locations throughout today’s Rome, the most notable and largest section is located right outside the Termini station. A smaller section of the wall was unearthed during the construction of the station’s underground shopping mall, and was thus integrated into the dining area of McDonald’s.

These parts of the wall may not be as well-preserved or impressive as, say, the Colosseum or the Foro Romana, but it's still amazing to see this leftover from antiquity inside a modern fast food place.

Related Tags

Walls Ancient History Roman
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

ljbrown, Collector of Experiences, rbenn250

  • ljbrown
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250

Published

February 14, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Servian Wall at McDonald's
1 Piazza dei Cinquecento
Rome, 00185
Italy
41.901835, 12.502296
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Sculpture of Giovanni Paolo II

Rome, Italy

miles away

Monument to the Fallen of Dogali

Rome, Italy

miles away

Er Buchetto

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 149
Stories 25

Nearby Places

Sculpture of Giovanni Paolo II

Rome, Italy

miles away

Monument to the Fallen of Dogali

Rome, Italy

miles away

Er Buchetto

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 149
Stories 25

Related Stories and Lists

12 McDonald’s Locations That Went Rogue

List

By Sam Lin-Sommer

7 Curious Collections Hiding in Restaurants and Bars

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Mumbai, India

    Flora Fountain

    An iconic fountain dedicated to the Roman goddess Flora stands in the heart of Mumbai.

  • Diokletian Aqueduct

    Split, Croatia

    Dioklecijanov Akvadukt (Diocletian Aqueduct)

    This ancient Roman aqueduct once funneled water to Diocletian's palace.

  • The pyramid shaped chapel & museum

    Bessans, France

    Mont Cenis

    From Carthage's Hannibal to riders of the Tour de France, many have crossed this scenic route through the Alps.

  • The remnants of the ancient eatery.

    Pompeii, Italy

    Pompeii Thermopolium

    Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.

  • Tarpeian Rock

    Rome, Italy

    Tarpeian Rock

    In the early Roman Empire, people deemed traitors and criminals were tossed to their deaths from this rock.

  • Roman ruins underneath the library.

    Bologna, Italy

    Roman Ruins of Salaborsa Library

    The remains of an ancient Roman city are hidden underneath Bologna's beautiful public library.

  • The Roman theater seen from Amman Citadel.

    Amman, Jordan

    Roman Theater of Amman

    This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

  • Detail of the chain.

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Golden Horn Chain

    A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.