Otricoli is a town and ''
comune'' in the
province of Terni,
Umbria, central
Italy. It is located on the
Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia or Flaminian Way was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to ''Ariminum'' (Rimini) on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had ...
, near the east bank of the
Tiber, some 70 km north of
Rome and 20 km south of
Narni.
History
Anciently named Ocriculum, the
Umbrian city concluded an alliance with
Rome in 308 BC. The modern village lies on the site of the ancient town about two km north of the
Roman relocation, which was moved down from the defensible position
[The Roman site was not walled.] probably at the end of the Republican era, in order to be closer to the curve of the
Tiber and the
Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia or Flaminian Way was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to ''Ariminum'' (Rimini) on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had ...
, which crossed the river here to enter Umbria. Its river port was the "oil port", signalling the olive culture that supported its economy. A ''pensor lignarius'' ("weigher of wood") noted in a recently unearthed inscription, identifies a trade in timber and perhaps firewood (Soprintendenza per i Beni Culturali).
Main sights
Excavations on the Roman site in 1775 and following years led to the discovery of the
baths, a
theatre, a
basilica and other buildings. In the baths were found a number of works of art, now in the
Vatican, including the mosaic pavement of the
Sala della Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, and the celebrated head of
Zeus and the head of
Claudius
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...
, both also shown in the Sala della Rotonda.
A badly-eroded
amphitheatre is still visible, but the other buildings have in the main been covered up again. Lack of consistent archaeological investigation has left the layout and extent of the Roman site unclear, though many works of art have been removed. Some finds are shown in the ''Antiquarium'' on the site.
References
Sources
External links
Official websiteSoprintendenza per i Beni Culturali, Otricoli - Parco archeologico
Hilltowns in Umbria
{{Umbria-geo-stub
