Discovered a Roman temple in Sarsina, city of Plautus

2023-08-23 13:49:36

A Roman temple with adjacent early medieval structures was discovered in Sarsina (Forlì-Cesena) during the excavation activities directed by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape (ABAP) for the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini. The tripartite structure, found in the birthplace of the playwright Plautus, will be presented at the European Heritage Days scheduled for 23 and 24 September next.

The activities directed by the Superintendency have made it possible to identify the remains of a large quadrangular structure which can be connected to a cult building from the Roman age, dated preliminary to the 1st century BC. BC, coeval with the sandstone slab flooring of the forum left exposed in the nearby public archaeological area and also found at the base of the structural evidence brought to light. The exceptional nature of the discovery also lies in its state of conservation: a single imposing structure in horizontal courses of sandstone blocks, identified as the podium above which the walls of the ancient cult building must have stood, according to the typology of temple well-attested Italic in the peninsula, preserved for a maximum height of 2.85 m.

From the data collected after the excavations directed by the archaeologist Romina Pirraglia, an official of the Superintendence, and financed by the Ministry of Culture, it emerges that it is almost certainly the Capitolium, of which the podium covered in marble slabs remains, a water drainage system , the subsequent frequentations and reuses testified by burials and hearths, as well as a probable previous phase which should be traced back to the Umbrian settlement attested from the 4th century. B.C

“This find is an important archaeological treasure that can offer valuable information on the history and evolution of a specific geographical area – declares the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano – It can reveal a rich history of settlements, cultural changes and transformations in society over the course of the centuries. It is an important contribution to our understanding of the past and can have significant implications for historical and archaeological research, to which we are giving impetus with extraordinary results throughout Italy”.

“The entire operation represents a further opportunity to reaffirm the importance and accuracy of the protection actions carried out by the peripheral structures of the Ministry – says the general director of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, Luigi La Rocca – which allow the protection and the conservation of our cultural heritage on the basis of in-depth cognitive activity, the results of which will not fail to open up opportunities for discussion between scholars and interesting valorisation prospects in an area severely hit by the flood last May and which is therefore at the center of the action and attention of the Ministry”.

“The methods of disseminating and exploiting the results will be carried out in synergy with the Municipality of Sarsina and with the National Archaeological Museum of Sarsina belonging to the Regional Directorate of Museums of Emilia Romagna – explains the superintendent Federica Gonzato – also through innovative technologies, with the preparation of methods to use them in 3D, as well as finding space in forthcoming educational and scientific publications”.