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Roman walls and domus at the Institute of the “Figlie di Gesù” in Verona – Verona

Via S. Cosimo 3, inside the Institute of the nuns "Figlie di Gesù" – 37100 Verona (VR)
Summary


The archaeological area that was discovered under the institute of the nuns "Figlie di Gesù" includes a short piece of the republican and Theodorican walls, of the remains of a Roman house and of part of a pentagonal tower.

History of research

The excavations were carried out between 1970 and 1975 by the General Direction for Archaeological Heritage in the Veneto region on the occasion of the Institute’s works to lay the gas oil cisterns underground.

Urban and geographical context

Verona is located along the Adige river, where this enters in the Po plain, at about thirty kilometres east to the Garda lake. Its altitude is 59 metres above sea level and it is placed at the basis of the Lessini mountains. This archaeological area is located in the old town centre of Verona, slightly north-east to the arena, and in Roman times it used to mark the city boundary.

Chronology

I century B.C. (mid) – V century A.D. (second half)

Description

This archaeological area displays part of the boundary walls of Roman and late antiquity Verona and of a “domus” of Augustan times.
Verona is located in the Adige river bend and in Roman times it was thus naturally defended on the north-eastern and north-western sides by the river, whereas it remained accessible on its southern side. Around mid I century B.C. a boundary wall was thus built, which started near the modern bridge “Ponte Vittoria, followed the modern street “Corso Diaz” up to the street “Via Leoncino”, where it turned north-northeast to continue in the same direction up to the river. In this archaeological area it is possible to see a piece of the north-eastern part of this city wall (B). This boundary was restored in the III century A.D. by the emperor Gallienus, who further added squared towers all along it. Between the Gallienan and the Theodorican times this tower was reinforced by building a limestone blocks buttress, which is very well preserved here (C).
In Theodorican times new city walls were built, about 10 metres behind the late republican ones. Today it is possible to see a short part of this boundary (A), which is preserved in the perimeter wall of the archaeological area.
Against the late republican walls there are the conserved remains of a Roman “domus”, which is dated to the Augustan times. (D). It is mainly constituted of two large rooms which were separated by two narrow spaces and which overlooked a columned corridor which probably pertained to a columned courtyard. The pavements of the main rooms are made of marble (Latin: “opus sectile”) and of mosaic and they are decorated with geometric patterns. The third room and the passageways are paved with marble scales, whereas the pavement of the porch was in tiles fragments and mortar, with white and black pieces of mosaic. This building spans between the end of the I century B.C. and the I century A.D.


Visiting

Admission: Solo su prenotazione
Su prenotazione

Visitability: Interno

Ticket: No

School access
Upon reservation at the School entrance 045 8003894

Opening Times

Recommended tour time (minutes): 30

Educational Services

Guide a stampa
Typewritten description of the site, available at the concierge’s room of the Institute.


Bibliography

Mangani E., Rebecchi F., Strazzulla M.J. 1981, Emilia, Venezie (Guide Archeologiche Laterza), Bari, pp. 168.
Marchini G.P. 1985, L’area di Piazza Nogara nel quadro urbanistico di Verona romana, in Testimonianze di 2000 anni di storia urbana negli edifici centrali della Banca Popolare di Verona, Verona, pp. 26.
Cavalieri Manasse G. 1987, Verona, in Il Veneto nell’età romana, II, a cura di Cavalieri Manasse G., Verona, pp. 42.
Cavalieri Manasse G. 1993, Le mura di Verona, in Mura delle città romane in Lombardia, Atti del Convegno (Como 1990), Como, pp. 179-215.
Cavalieri Manasse G. 1993, Le mura teodoriciane di Verona, in Teoderico il grande e i Goti d’Italia, Atti del XIII Congresso internazionale di Studi sull’Alto Medioevo (Milano 1992), Spoleto, pp. 634-644.
Archeologia a Verona 2000, a cura di Bolla M., Milano, pp. 63-66.
I luoghi della cultura 2006, Roma, pp. 385.
Bonetto J. 2009, Veneto (Archeologia delle Regioni d’Italia), Roma, pp. 449-450.


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