Ancona, Picenum

The bustling port city of Ancona, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, seems to have begun life as a small settlement of the Italic Picentes, perhaps dating back to the 8th or 9th century BCE. It grew in importance, but, around 380 BCE a contingent of exiles from Syracuse, fleeing the rule of Dionysius I,…

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Brixia, Venetia – Part II

Just to the south of the Capitolium are a few areas to visit Roman remains. The first is right across the street at Via Agostino Gallo 6, at the tourist information office housed at the Palazzo Martinengo Cesaresco Novarino. Housed in the basement and accessible via the tourist office are some remains associated with the…

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Brixia, Venetia – Part I

The modern town of Brescia is situated in Northern Italy at the foot of the Alps, between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda (Lacus Sebinus and Lacus Benacus in antiquity, respectively) and along the Mella River (seemingly retaining it’s ancient name). In the Roman period, the settlement was called Brixia, seeming to derive from the Celtic…

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Ariminum, Aemelia

History Located at the mouth of the present-day Marecchia River (the Ariminus in antiquity) is the Italian Adriatic seaside resort town of Rimini, successor of the Roman settlement of Ariminum. The area seems to have been under the control of the Etruscans until about the 6th century BCE, when the Etruscans were dislodged from the…

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Verona, Venetia – Part II

Continued From Verona Part I Arch, Gates, and Forum From the amphitheater, it’s a short 5 minute walk west to the Arco dei Gavi, the arch of the Gavii family. There is no entrance fee though there is a small gate that might restrict access at some times. Even with the gate, the arch is…

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Verona, Venetia – Part I

Situated along the present day Adige River (the Athesis in antiquity) is the city of Verona, bearing the same name in the Roman period as it does today. The pre-Roman origins of settlement in the area are a matter of some debate. By some accounts it was the territory of the Euganei, a semi-historical italic…

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Paestum, Lucania – Part II

Continued From Paestum – Part I Southern Sanctuary Heading toward the southernmost part of the city and the southern sanctuary are the other two major temples of Paestum. The northern most of these two temples is the Temple of Hera II, or the Second Temple of Hera. Built between 460 BCE and 440 BCE, the…

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Paestum, Lucania – Part I

Today located in the fertile region of modern Campania (but was in antiquity part of the region of Lucania), the city of Paestum was founded by Greek colonists as Poseidonia sometime in the middle to late 7th century BCE. Strabo claims that the colonists were Achaean settlers from Sybaris, a Greek colony on the toe…

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Pisae, Etruria

Most Recent Visit: June 2011 Quick Info: Address: Museo dell’Opera del Duomo Piazza del Duomo, 23 56126 Pisa PI Hours: 8:00-20:00 (April-September) 9:00-19:00 (October) 10:00-17:00 (November-February) 9:00-18:00 (March) Admission: 5 Euro Currently closed for renovation (2017) Even in antiquity, the ancient precursor to Pisa was considered an “old” city. While that was agreed upon by…

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Antium, Latium

Most Recent Visit: August 2015 Quick Info: Address: Museo Civico Archaeologico Via di Villa Adele, 2 00042 Anzio RM Villa Imperiale Neroniana Viale Fanciulla D’Anzio, 20 0042 Anzio RM Hours: 10:30-12:30, 16:00-18:00 (15:00-19:00 in July and August) Closed on Monday, Wednesday, Friday Admission: Free Located about 50 kilometers south/southeast of Rome, Antium is located at…

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