Forum Aemilii: A 2nd Century BCE Planned Town on the Regina Viarum
Recent geophysical investigations and multispectral drone surveys have revealed the urban layout of a Roman city located in contrada Fioccaglia, within the municipality of Flumeri (Avellino), Italy. Situated along the Via Appia (Regina Viarum), which was recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, the settlement is increasingly being identified by scholars as the ancient Forum Aemilii.
The research was conducted by the University of Salento in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Salerno and Avellino. These non-invasive studies have provided a comprehensive “X-ray” of the buried remains, significantly expanding the understanding of a site that was previously only partially known.
Urban Planning and Historical Context
The settlement was active between the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. It is believed to have been founded as a planned city linked to the construction of the Via Aemilia, a road commissioned by the consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 126 BCE.
The urban layout follows a perfectly orthogonal grid, characterized by streets intersecting at right angles and regular city blocks. This coherent planning reflects the Roman strategy of territorial control and the Romanization of the internal Irpinia region during the Republican era, specifically between the Gracchi period and the Sullan dictatorship.
The Forum: Political and Commercial Center
The use of magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has identified a large central square, identified as the Forum. This area served as the administrative, judicial, and commercial heart of the community. Data suggests the presence of porticoes surrounding the square and various public buildings used for representation and governance.
Prior to these discoveries, archaeological knowledge of the site was limited to a paved decumanus (main east-west road) and a domus featuring First Style Pompeian wall paintings, both unearthed during excavations in the 1980s. The identification of the Forum establishes the civic hierarchy of the ancient city and confirms its status as a formal urban center.
The Discovery of the Theater
The most significant finding of the recent campaign is a Roman theater. Located through the integration of thermal and multispectral data from drones, the structure is clearly recognizable by its semicircular shape. The theater is of considerable size, testifying to a level of monumentality that was previously unexpected for a center in this specific hinterland.
The presence of a dedicated building for spectacles implies a highly structured community capable of supporting public activities and civic aggregation. This discovery proves the site was not a simple vicus but a fully developed urban center equipped with cultural and representative infrastructures.
Methodology and Conservation
The discovery relied on a multidisciplinary approach involving non-invasive technologies that analyze soil magnetization and vegetation growth patterns to detect buried structures without extensive excavation. Differences in the physical properties of the soil allowed researchers to map the entire settlement’s “radiography” while the remains were still underground.
The site is strategically located at the confluence of the Ufita river and the Fiumarella stream. This area is currently undergoing modern infrastructure development, including the construction of the Hirpinia High-Speed Railway Station. The new archaeological evidence will serve as the foundation for an integrated plan of protection and cultural enhancement to preserve the heritage of Fioccaglia as a strategic node along the Via Appia.
Featured image: © Università del Salento
Source: storiearcheostorie.com
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