Piazza del Foro Romano 1 - 31046 Oderzo (TV)
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Summary
The archaeological area displays the remains of the Roman forum of Oderzo of its basilica, and of a private house, all dating to the end of the I century B.C. – first half of the I century A.D.History of research
The excavations were carried out by the General Direction for Archaeological Heritage in the Veneto region between 1983 and 1985, in 1989 and again between 1992 and 1995, on the occasion of the works to construct the buildings between “Via Roma” and “Via Mazzini”.
Urban and geographical context
Oderzo is located in the Veneto plains, between 9 and 16 metres above sea level. The territory of Oderzo is crossed by the Monticano river, which springs nearby the town “Vittorio Veneto” and which flows into the Livenza river near the village “Motta di Livenza”.
Chronology
I B.C. (end) - I A.D. (first half) |
Roman forum and houses in the street “Via Mazzini” The archaeological area in the square “Piazza del Foro Romano” is located underneath the modern buildings and it is perfectly integrated within them. The area displays the remains of the forum compound of Oderzo in Roman times and it also includes part of a rich Roman house and of pavements. All these remains span between the end of the I century B.C. and the first half of the I century A.D.
The forum (A), which was built upon the late Republican one, was paved in trachyte from the Euganean hills and along its long sides had a porch which could be reached through few steps. Of this forum it is possible to see a good part of the stone pavements and three of the steps that would provide access to the porch. On the western side of the forum there was a double row of workshops which were later transformed into offices with various functions, such as meeting halls or religious places. On the northern side of the forum there was the basilica (B), a public building, which was divided in three naves by 4 rows of 8 columns each. Some remains are still visible today, particularly the bases of the columns. The southern short side of the forum is not clearly understandable today. However, the excavations suggest that here there should be the “Capitolium” of Oderzo, that is the temple for the three supreme deities in Roman religion, Jupiter, Juno and Minerva.
On the western side the forum was closed by a road, a “cardo maximus”, which could be identified thanks to the presence of a sewer (D) that is still visible today. The sewer was in bricks with vaulted ceiling. The position of the road, its orientation and dimensions (it was 6 metres large) suggest that it was the “cardo maximus” of the town, that is the main north-south road.
Underneath the gallery that links the modern square to the street “Via Mazzini” we can see a rich Roman house, a “domus”, of a high complexity (C). The original core of this house was oriented north-south and was organized around a peristyle with a garden. Of this, it is possible to see a beautiful white mosaic with ivy decorations and some parts of the rooms which were located near it, all paved with mosaics. The secondary area of the house was built around a courtyard. It is possible to see its three “tryclinia” with white pavements and inlays of marble and mosaics. |
Visiting
Admission: Negli orari di apertura
Su prenotazione;
Visitability: Esterno e Interno;
Ticket: No;
School accessUpon reservation
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Recommended tour time (minutes): 80 |
Services for visitors
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Educational Services
Guide a stampaInformation boards Guided Tours Guided tours by the association “Athena”, tel 0422 815939 Educational activities Teaching activities by the association “Athena”, tel 0422 815939 Library and documentation centre |
Bibliography
Tirelli M. 1985, Treviso. Oderzo. Zona monumentale e quartieri di abitazione di epoca romana tra via Roma e via Mazzini, in Quaderni di Archeologia del Veneto, I, pp. 361-366, 369-373. |
Tirelli M. 1987, Oderzo, in Il Veneto nell'età romana, II, a cura di Cavalieri Manasse G., Verona, pp. 357-390. |
Tirelli M. 1995, Il foro di Opitergium (Oderzo), in Antichità AltoAdriatiche, XLII, pp. 217-240. |
Tirelli M. 2003, Itinerari archeologici di Oderzo, Treviso, pp. 27-47. |
I luoghi della cultura 2006, Roma, pp. 382-383. |
Bonetto J. 2009, Veneto (Archeologia delle Regioni d'Italia), Roma, pp. 485-486. |