The Lupercal (from Latin ''

lupa Lupa may refer to: Places * Lupa Ward Ward in Chunya, Mbeya, Tanzania * Lupa Gold Field, in Chunya, Mbeya, Tanzania * Lupa Island (Hungary) * Lupa Zoo, Ludlow, Massachusetts, United States * Mount Lupa, Antarctica Other * Auguste Lupa, a fictio ...

'' "female wolf") was a cave at the southwest foot of the

Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...

in Rome, located somewhere between the temple of Magna Mater and the

Sant'Anastasia al Palatino Sant'Anastasia is a minor basilica and titular church for cardinal-priests in Rome, Italy owned by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Basilica Sant'Anastasia was built in the late 3rd century - early 4th century, possibly by a Roman woman name ...

. In the legend of the founding of Rome,

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (, ) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of a she-wolf suckling the ...

were found there by the she-wolf who suckled them until they were rescued by the shepherd Faustulus. Luperci, the priests of Faunus, celebrated certain ceremonies of the Lupercalia at the cave, from the earliest days of the City until at least 494 AD.

Modern discovery

In January 2007, Italian archaeologist

Irene Iacopi Irene Iacopi is an Italian archaeologist. In January 2007, Iacopi announced that she had probably found the legendary cave of Lupercal beneath the remains of the House of Augustus, the ''Domus Livia'', on the Palatine Hill, believed by ancient ...

announced that she had probably found the legendary cave beneath the remains of Emperor Augustus's house, the ''Domus

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC – 28 September AD 29) was a Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Roman emperor, Emperor Augustus Caesar. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption in ancient Rome, adoption into the J ...

'', on the Palatine. Archaeologists came across the 15-meter-deep cavity while working to restore the decaying palace. On 20 November 2007, the first set of photos were released showing the vault of the grotto which is encrusted with colourful mosaics, pumice stones and seashells. The center of the ceiling features a depiction of a white eagle, the symbol of the Roman Empire. Archaeologists had not yet found the grotto's entrance, so they continued looking. Its location below Augustus' residence was thought to be significant; Octavian, before he became Augustus, had considered taking the name

Romulus Romulus () was the legendary foundation of Rome, founder and King of Rome, first king of Ancient Rome, Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus ...

to indicate that he intended to found Rome anew.

Opposing opinions

Adriano La Regina (formerly Rome's archaeological superintendent 1976–2004, professor of

Etruscology Etruscology is the study of the ancient civilization of the Etruscans in Italy, which was incorporated into an expanding Roman Empire during the period of Rome's Middle Republic. Since the Etruscans were politically and culturally influential in pr ...

at Sapienza University of Rome), Professor

Fausto Zevi Fausto Zevi is a contemporary Italian classical archaeologist. Presently he is professor of Archaeology and Greco-Roman art history at the University of Rome ''La Sapienza'' and has previously held posts at the University of Naples ''Federico II ...

(professor of Roman Archaeology at Rome's La Sapienza University) and Professor Henner von Hesberg (head of the German Archaeological Institute, Rome) denied the identification of the grotto with Lupercal on topographic and stylistic grounds. They concluded that the grotto is actually a

nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' or ''nymphaion'' ( grc, νυμφαῖον), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...

or underground triclinium from Neronian times. The current scholarly consensus is that the grotto is not the Lupercal and that the cave was located lower southwest, closer to piazza

References

External links

* {{Authority control 8th century BC in the Roman Kingdom Roman mythology Topography of the ancient city of Rome Palatine Hill Lupercalia She-wolf (Roman mythology)

Modern discovery

Opposing opinions

See also

References

External links