 The Roman road through the Tombs of Via Latina | |
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| Coordinates | 41°51′42.757″N12°32′7.033″E / 41.86187694°N 12.53528694°E /41.86187694; 12.53528694 |
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TheTombs of the Via Latina (Italian:Tombe di Via Latina) areRomantombs, mainly from the2nd century AD, that are found along a short stretch of theVia Latina, an ancientRoman road close toRome,Italy. They are now part of an archaeological park and can be visited.
The tombs were discovered in 1857–58 by Lorenzo Fortunati, a teacher who dabbled in archaeology and made money by selling some of the items he found.[1] A series of excavations supported byPope Pius IX subsequently uncovered various tombs along a short stretch of the road about 6 km southeast of the center of Rome. The area was subsequently expropriated from theBarberini family by the Italian State in 1879.[2] In 1900, further excavations were initiated under the supervision ofRodolfo Lanciani.
The park extends for a short distance of 450 m. In addition to the tombs, part of the original basalt surface of the Via Latina is also visible.
The tombs are very well preserved. Among the most notable is theBarberini tomb (Italian:Sepolcro Barberini), named after the former landowners. It has two floors above an underground burial chamber, and is constructed inred and yellow bricks, typical of Roman construction in the area in the mid 2nd century AD. The Barberinisarcophagus with reliefs representing the myths ofProtesilaus and Laodamia was discovered here, and is now on display in theVatican Museum. The tomb was used as a barn in the 8th century, when part of the roof was demolished.
TheTomb of the Valerii (Italian:Sepolcro dei Valeri), which dates from the second half of the 2nd century AD, is a notable two-story brick structure. Its name is arbitrary and does not relate to the original occupants of the tomb. The part above ground has been almost entirely reconstructed and is noteworthy for aportico with twocolumns at the front. Beyond the entrance there is an area open to the sky from where two symmetrical staircases lead to the two underground burial chambers, which were originally richly decorated with slabs of marble.
Only the underground part of theTomb of the Pancratii (Italian:Sepolcro dei Pancrazi) survives, and the tomb is now covered with a modern building. The name comes from an inscription referring to the funerarycollegium of thePancratii, inscribed on a large marble sarcophagus that remainsin situ; seven other sarcophagi found here are now in the Vatican Museum. The tomb, dated to the reign ofHadrian (AD 117–138), contains good examples ofstucco work andfrescoes. The fresco decoration of the underground vault includeJupiter in flight with the eagle, theJudgement of Paris.[2]
| Preceded by Tomb of the Scipios | Landmarks of Rome Tombs of Via Latina | Succeeded by Tomb of Priscilla |