Revealing a Hidden Celtic and Roman Shrine: Ongoing Excavations at the Temple of Minerva in Marano di Valpolicella, Italy

The excavation campaigns at the Roman Temple of Minerva in Marano di Valpolicella (Veneto, Northern Italy) continue to yield archaeologically significant discoveries. The ongoing excavations, which began in the summer of 2023, have resulted in the recovery of numerous boxes filled with painted plaster fragments, making this sanctuary on the slopes of Monte Castelòn a truly exceptional site that overlooks the surrounding landscape.

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The study, restoration, and reconstruction of the stucco have, in recent years, allowed researchers to outline the distinctive characteristics of the wall decoration of the late Republican-era temple. These discoveries include elements from the first Pompeian style (3rd-2nd century BCE), some of which are so rare (such as the “onda corrente” or “current wave” motif) that they are considered a significant case study by experts, as archeologist Carla Pagani explains while holding fragments fresh from the excavation.

A Collaborative Partnership Between Archaeology and the Local Community

However, this is just one aspect of the multidisciplinary archaeological work that has been ongoing since 2005 at what we refer to as the Temple of Minerva, but it is actually much more than that. Brunella Bruno, the archaeological official from the Verona Superintendence who has been leading the excavation since the site’s rediscovery, explains this. “Rediscovery” because this research was initiated with the aim of retracing the steps of the 19th-century Veronese scholar Giovanni Girolamo Orti Manara, who, in 1835, managed to locate the site thanks to what would now be considered a virtuous example of archival research and field investigations. Orti Manara was astute, documenting his findings with the help of the painter Giuseppe Razzetti, leaving valuable archival material for future researchers. However, he did not georeference the site, which, once artifacts and inscriptions (such as the one indicating it as the Temple of Minerva) were recovered, was lost again amidst the terraces and cherry orchards for nearly 170 years.

Brunella Bruno reenacted Orti Manara’s work in a modern context, searching the area and relying on the historical memory of elderly farmers, who still remembered some traces seen either directly or by their relatives in the early decades of the 20th century. Reunions held in the municipality, championed by the then-Mayor Simone Venturini, were crucial. The dialect tales of the elderly unfolded between fantasy and reality, creating a precious mosaic of knowledge for archaeologists. Today, we would call this “public archaeology” or, more specifically, “participatory archaeology.”

Three Phases of Worship for a Sacred Landscape

The excavation and valorization of such a unique and significant site have significantly expanded the horizon of knowledge regarding the use of the sacred landscape during the Iron Age and the Romanization of Cisalpine Gaul, including the establishment of a cult during the imperial period. So far, three major phases have been identified for the Marano site: a votive area dating back to the 6th century BCE, with layers of ritual fire accumulations from centuries of sacrifices; a Roman Republican temple, and finally, an Imperial-era building.

One of the bronze votive rings found in the Iron Age sacred area in Marano di Valpolicella

Brunella Bruno’s work, along with the archaeologists from the Verona Superintendence and the collaboration of numerous other researchers, is increasingly directing the research towards the certainty of having identified a long-standing sanctuary, a fanum, deeply rooted in a region that has been sacred for centuries. The votive offerings in the ritual fire soil, including over 100 bronze rings, exhibit “subalpine” characteristics, suggesting the presence of Rhaetian and Celtic populations in an area characterized by the osmosis of various cultures. The site’s location is also essential for understanding the “sacred landscape,” both because of its dominant position that extends over the entire Po Valley to the Apennines on clear days, and because of the flowing water. This water, emerging from a fissure in the rock on Monte Castelòn, was channelled (as suggested by archaeology) as a purifying and foundational element of the cult site.

Later, when Rome extended its influence into the Cisalpine region, the value of the sacred site was recognized and emphasized through significant construction projects. These are the immediate focus of the researchers, particularly to understand why this relatively peripheral area featured structures and construction techniques that were not present in nearby Verona during the same period, even though Verona was still far from becoming the significant Roman city with the imposing remnants we know today.

TO LEARN MORE AND VISIT THE TEMPLE OF MINERVA, visit the official website: https://www.tempiodiminerva.it/wp/

Bibliographic Note (excerpted from the website and updated):

TEMPLE OF MINERVA IN MARANO DI VALPOLICELLA