{"id":760,"date":"2022-10-05T14:38:11","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T14:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.museociviconepi.it\/en\/?post_type=monumento&p=760"},"modified":"2023-01-20T18:00:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T18:00:20","slug":"the-amerina-road-and-the-necropolis-of-tre-ponti","status":"publish","type":"monumento","link":"https:\/\/www.museociviconepi.it\/en\/monuments\/the-amerina-road-and-the-necropolis-of-tre-ponti\/","title":{"rendered":"The Amerina Road and the Necropolis of “Tre Ponti”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ancient Amerina road connected Rome with Umbria region<\/strong> arriving in Ameria<\/em>, now called Amelia, the city which gave it the name. The path detached from ancient Cassia road near a place called Vacanas, inside the Baccano Valley, and through Nepet<\/em> (Nepi), Falerii Novi<\/em>, Castellum Amerinum<\/em> it reached Ameria<\/em>. The total distance from Rome to Ameria was of 56 miles<\/strong> as remainded by Cicero<\/strong> in its own oration “Pro Roscio Amerino”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The road was built in 241 b.C<\/strong>., when the city of Falerii Veteres<\/em> was destroyed, the most important center of Falisci people, and the roman city of Falerii Novi<\/em> was founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During the roman age<\/strong> the Amerina road was the main path for the local traffic and had the important function to connect the Cassia road and the Flaminia once. It also had a strategic role during the Middle Age<\/strong> when our territory was inveded by Longobards. The control of its path insured the connection between Rome and Ravenna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1787<\/strong> it was substituted by a modern road between the cities of Nepi and Civita Castellana. The road was modified or erased after some great transformations of our rural landscape in the last two centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today its path is still clearly visible<\/strong> in different parts of Nepi’s territory. Near the borders with the cities of Castel Sant’Elia, Civita Castellana and Fabrica di Roma, in a place known as “Tre Ponti” the road enters in a wide stone cut and through different terrain levels with the help of stone bridges it ends in cultivated fields before reaching the walls of Falerii Novi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is for sure one of its best part, characterized by important archaeological evidences<\/strong> located within an uncontaminated environment and the ecosystem of the so called “forre” (canyons). Archaeological excavations have brought to light in several places the intact pavement of the road<\/strong> which is flanked by cave tombs<\/strong> of various types (arcosolium tombs, chamber tombs, pit tombs, etc.) datable to mostly between the 1st century b.C. and the 2nd a.D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oldest and most monumental are the so called portico tombs<\/strong>, such as the one called “Queen’s Tomb”<\/strong>, located in a short distance from the area known as “Cavo degli Zucchi”<\/strong>. It is a type of burial characterized by the presence of a “portico” that precedes the funeral chamber and which has its origin in the Etruscan world, as documented by the most significant examples inside the necropolises of San Giuliano and Norchia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n