ROAD WITH BASALT PAVING (I century BC)

This main road, a wide surface of basalt composed of large limestone plates, with a step down on the side for a sidewalk, is an important monument. Although it was used only by pedestrians (there are no signs of tracks made by carts); it was an important arterial road. The alignment of the joints and the base indicate that the direction was toward the mountain, up to the nearby temple of Bona Mater. The road was built to connect the two “focuses ”: a sacred road meeting up with the one coming from the southeast. It had to start from the arch inside Palazzo Fiumi, in the Piazzetta Garibaldi, and continue up to the arch (now lost) up from the ancient Forum, on the northern border of the Roman city. Today it is between the Cathedral and the arches of Porta Perlici (mostly erected with reused materials). This road is witness to the importance of the city as well as the technical ability of the Romans to build streets. The surrounding area is of high archeological interest; above, along via S. Maria delle Rose, there are remains of an Umbrian wall; further, inside a private house, there is a large retaining wall that extends for about 10 metres (length) and about 20 metres (height).

It is a dry stone wall, whose stones are irregular and made of limestone with inserts of reused arch ashlars and column remnants. Its shape, with several retractions in the upper part, indicates that it was modified in ancient times. It is part of a northern terracing above the area of the forum-sanctuary. Next to it, there is a dwelling that was surely prestigious; now it is only a thermal tub base (made of lime mortar with crushed bricks) and just remains of painted plasters are left. Shape and colors are similar to the frescoes found in the house of Properzio.