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Aqueducts
Arches
Arenas
Campo Marzio
Columns
Doors
Fori
Fountains
Obelisks
Palaces
Streets
Temples
Towers
Villas
Walls
Churches

Ara Pacis
Archeological area in piazza Argentina
Archeological area in piazza Argentina: theories and lost remains
Saepta Julia

Archeological area in piazza Argentina: a visitor's path


The access to the area comes from via San Nicola de' Cesarini. Proceeding along, one finds himself on the square in front of the temples (1) paved with travertine slabs. The rest of the area does not show traces of paving. On the level of the square, there are remains of the traces of the structures in "opera vittata" (2) relative to a late-ancient occupation. A well (3) is the only rest remaining visible, dating back to the phases of the medieval occupation of the zone. Lower, a visible part of a wall has remained, uncertain work ("opera incerta") of the republican period (4). To the right, when one has come down the stairs, a great structure in opera vittata (5) is visible. At the moment of the discovery one saw that the hall was divided by a row of four rectangular pilasters, while on all the four walls was extended in brickwork. Both the pilasters and the counter were demolished to allow the excavation in deepness. Extending along the wall of the hall, in front of the temple A, has been collocated a large fragment of architrave of the imperial epoch. Immediately at the north of the hall, is visible a porch which delimits the area (6). The columns rest on a small brick wall, visible on all its length, along the side of the temple A. Under this small wall is distinguished a line of travertine blocks (6) which constitutes the foundation of the porch relative to the republican phasis. The bottom wall of the porch (6b) shows, it also, traces of ulterior interventions and restoration.


click to enlarge

It is then possible to climb on to the temple A (8). The podium and the putty-tufo columns date back to the last republican reconstruction of the temple (about half of the 1st century a.c.) while the coating in bricks of the podium (visible for a short length on the northern side (8a), the two travertine columns (the first two on the same side) (8b) and the walls of the cell of the brick temple (8c) are to be attributed to the restoration in the 1st century d.c.
The last column of the meridional "peristasi" (8d) has on top a travertine drum, while some columns of the northern peristasi preserve the new base moldings in bricks. Columns and bases evidently were plastered and painted, thus hiding the material differences. At the bottom the temple shows evident traces of the transformation into church. The foundation of the apse goes back to the Carolingian phase (IX century). The vertical brick projection of the apse (8c) with the frescoes, the altar (8f) and the rest of the "cosmatesco" floor, are instead related to the reconstruction of the church in 1132. The frescoes of the apse represent a theory of saints.
The visible absidal between the meridional peristasis and the Aspe of the church (8h) is traced back to an ulterior phase of restoration probably dated at the XIVth century, as the freschi on the pilaster between the two naves of the church. Between the temple A and the temple B are perserved two environments having relation with the edifice which, during the imperial era, set between the temples and finally absorbed them (9). Returning to the square, it is possible to climb on the round temple (temple B), the most recent of the four temples of the area sacra, built between the end of the II ant the first years of the 1st century a.c. (10) . To the originary phase are attributed the podium in tufo slabs of the Aniene (10a), the flight of steps bordered with tufo cheeks (10b) , columns, also in tufo, with bases and travertine capitals. Crossing over with a gang way the excavation made for the isolation to the temple (C) one finds himself on the floor of tufo slabs (11).
On it there is the altar in conglomerate (11a) which substitued the altar of Postumio Albino, covered by the tufo flooring. Climbing then on the floor in travertine slabs, corresponding to the phase of the domitian restructuration, one can admire the remains of the temple C (12) the first of the four temples of area sacra, built between the end of the IV century and the beginning of the III a.c. To the original phase are ascribed the tufo podium of Monteverde (12a) and the tufo partitions of the Grotta Oscura (12b) which supported the stair flight. The great platform in front of the temple which was reached by means of four steps (12c) belong to a successive phase. Climbing the flight of steps, one can see one of the rooms in which the podium, in the interior, was divided (12f); the wall (12g) shows the limit between the cell and the "pronaos".

Going back on the floor of travertine one can reach the temple D (13). Into the zone between the temple C and the temple B is preserved a structure in brick work (14). It is the matter of a basin connected with the series of surroundings which occupy the space between the two temples. On the west of this basin are visible the remains of the podium of the great rectangular exedra belonging to the near pompeian porch (15). Of exceptional dimensions, it was built behind the stage of the theatre of Pompeus and it occupied the zone included on one side between via dei Chiavari and via of Torre Argentina, on the other between via del Sudario and via di Sant'Anna. The exedra embellished by the statue of Pompeo was used as curia for the meetings of the Senate. It is there that, on the 15th of March of the year 44 a.c. , was killed Julius Caesar. Behind the temple B there remains a group of surroundings datable to the period of Caligula.
Going back to the entrance one can visit the subterranean remains of the temple A reaching the platform in front of the temple, on which are the remains of an altar in peperine, probably similar to the one of the temple. Proceeding, visible is the meridional side of the podium related to the second phase of the temple A joined to the floor of tufo. Then one enters in the interior of the podium originally divided in two rooms corresponding with the cell and the pronaos of the temple ; the wall in blocks which is seen on the right corrisponds with the limit between the pronaos and the flight of steps of the temple. Proceeding, one can visit the crypt of the church of Saint Nicola del Calcario and finally climb to the level of the actual 'calpestio' of the temple A.