In "diretta" dallo scavo archeologico di Altino (Venezia): la grande domus degli intonaci

A large Roman building from the Imperial era is being excavated by the University of Venice in Altino, the great emporium city of the Venetian lagoon before Venice itself existed. The excavation, part of a long series of archaeological investigations in the city area, has identified traces of the apse-shaped building, literally dismantled—stripped—to its foundations in the 5th-6th century AD. Following land reclamation over the last 150 years, it has been severely damaged by constant plowing. The ground level is 20-40 centimeters in the area known as "Ghiacciaia" (some call it Rialto), a slight rise of a few meters above the surrounding lagoon plain. The information emerging from the "negative" traces (spoliation trenches, floor preparations, negative traces of mosaics, in short, "signs" of the building), and especially the finds, lead us to believe that it was not a public building, as hypothesized last year, but a large domus. Indeed, there are numerous painted plasters, demonstrating high-quality and elaborate decoration. There are fragments of valuable flooring, mosaics, and numerous marbles from across the Mediterranean. Thus, wealth and a taste for luxury are also attested to in the finds from various eras of the city (and the necropolises) at the nearby National Archaeological Museum of Altino (including the portion of the archaeological area currently visible). The excavation is scientifically directed by Luigi Sperti, Professor of Classical Archaeology at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and fieldwork is led by archaeologist Silvia Cipriano.