Ancient Roman villa beneath high school gym reveals stunning secret from the past

The domus, an upscale Roman house, was found under Cavour High School, just steps away from Rome's Colosseum.

Archaeologists unveiled the results of their excavation after presenting their findings to teachers and students at Cavour High School earlier in June.

"Over the years, after becoming aware of these findings, school staff informed Rome's Special Superintendency about the accidental discoveries," the translated statement said.

Pictures of the site released by officials show vaulted rooms with faded frescoes and decorative plasterwork, along with some modern graffiti and piles of rubble.

Claudia Marino, a history and Latin teacher at Cavour High School, told The Times of London that she initially dismissed rumors that ancient ruins were hidden beneath the school.

"Ten years ago, a student told me the story, but I didn't give it much thought," Marino told the publication.

"When it was over, a group of students told me, 'There really is something under the school,'" she added. "We take our pupils to have outdoor lessons on the Palatine Hill, so they know [what] they are talking about."

Marino eventually ventured to the school's basement with her colleagues and opened up an iron door with a key - revealing the long-rumored ruins.

Officials plan to eventually open the villa to the public, with students serving as guides.

Last summer, archaeologists working on Rome's Metro Line C project uncovered a multi-story apartment building dating to the first century B.C.