McDonald's in Italy reveals ancient skeletons under glass floor

Frattocchie is a village located about 12 miles from Rome. In ancient times, the Via Appia, a road that connected the capital of Italy with Capua, ran through the village. Historians consider this route one of the greatest achievements of the ancient world, with a significant economic, military, and cultural impact on Roman society.

The remains of the Via Appia have survived to the present day. Fragments of the famous road have been secured and adapted for sightseeing. One section of the ancient route runs through a surprising location—under a McDonald's restaurant in Frattocchie.

Customers visiting the restaurant are in for a rather eerie attraction. Under the glass floor stretches a view of ancient excavations, which contain three human skeletons made of silicone. Previously, real remains were found there during the construction of the McDonald's in 2014. Builders removed the skeletons and replaced them with synthetic counterparts.

The remains found at the construction site dated back to the 2nd to 3rd century. For archaeologists, they were valuable research material on ancient burials. Experts, in collaboration with McDonald's, worked extensively to make the underground area visible from the ground level. Thanks to this unusual attraction, the restaurant gained a cult status.

Tourists visiting the McDonald's restaurant in Frattocchie often record their reactions to the skeletons. This was also the case for an American named Kassidy, whose video from her visit went viral on TikTok.

"People, I'm now in a McDonald's in Rome," began Kassidy in her recording. She then aimed the camera at the glass floor where the ancient underground stretched. "This is beneath me. It extends through the interior of the building. Get ready. Here is the body. This is a skeleton in McDonald's."