AREA ARCHEOLOGICA DI SAEPINUM

Perched at an altitude of 702 meters, the Roman ruins of Saepinum are among the best preserved and least visited in the country. Before becoming a Roman city, the site was occupied by the Samnites who, at the crossroads of two transhumance routes, founded a reception and trading center for transiting shepherds. The Romans, during the ^first century B.C., built in place of the small Samnite station a much larger city, along the transhumance paths that had become city roads. Saepinum is exclusive by its condition of inhabited archaeological site. In fact, among its ruins, developed the village of Altilia. Saepinum is, moreover, different from all the other cities of this epoch, because its urban model was based on the network of tratturi - grassy paths made by the passage of the cattle - pre-existing.

Decumanus. One of the main arteries of any Roman city, along with the cardo. It is an ancient paved path of transhumance that connected Candela to Pescasseroli. On both sides, ruins, foundations of residential areas and public buildings. Following it for about 150 meters, you will find the remains of the basilica and, next to it, the forum.

Basilica. With the theater, the basilica of Augustus represents one of the most important vestiges of Saepinum. Its twenty circular columns of Ionic order are still standing.

Piazza del Foro. Center of the public life, the forum is also only a portion of paved tratturo.