New fragment of an ancient map of Rome recovered

A new fragment of the Forma Urbis Romae, a map carved into marble slabs between 203 and 211 A.D. was found in Rome. Today, only fragments remain of it and most are held in the Capitoline Museum. They cover just 10 percent the original map surface that once stood on a wall in the Templum Pacis (Temple of Peace). Connecting to a large piece discovered in 1562, the new fragment bears an inscription that completes the word Circus Flaminius. The new fragment was discovered in 2014 during work at the Palazzo Maffei Marescotti, a building owned by the Vatican.

Newly found piece of Forma Urbis Romae map (by Seeker)
Newly found piece of Forma Urbis Romae map (by Seeker)

Carved on 150 marble slabs, the 60-foot by 43-foot map detailed every building, street and staircase in Rome until it was partially ripped from the wall, probably to make lime for cement. What was left fell down and broke apart in hundreds of unrecognisable pieces. The fragment relates to plate 31 of the map, which is the present-day area of the Ghetto, one of the monumental areas of the ancient city, dominated by the Circus Flaminius, built in 220 BC to host the Plebeian games, and where a number of important public monuments stood.

(after Seeker)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.