The large piazza in front of the Termini station greets visitors with an extraordinary snapshot of Rome and its history. The right side is closed off by a long section of -- the city's first walls built in the 6th century BC by King Servius Tullius.

When they were renovated 2 centuries later, the 11 kilometers of walls surrounded more than 400 hectares, defending the largest city of the ancient world. When the last renovations were made to these walls under the Emperor Augustus, Rome no longer needed defenses due to its unprecedented hegemony over the Mediterranean.
On the opposite side of the piazza are the ruins of the Imperial Age's largest baths, the Baths of Diocletian. It is from these baths, or Terme, that the Stazione Termini takes its name.
On the left side of the piazza is the characteristic early 19th century residential area constructed after Rome became the capital of Italy.