Otricoli

Otricoli
Comune
Comune di Otricoli
Otricoli

Location of Otricoli in Italy

Coordinates: 42°25′N 12°29′E / 42.417°N 12.483°E / 42.417; 12.483Coordinates: 42°25′N 12°29′E / 42.417°N 12.483°E / 42.417; 12.483
Country Italy
Region Umbria
Province Terni (TR)
Frazioni Poggio
Government
  Mayor Antonio Liberati (since June 13, 2004)
Area
  Total 27.27 km2 (10.53 sq mi)
Elevation 209 m (686 ft)
Population (2000)
  Total 1,811
  Density 66/km2 (170/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Otricolani
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 05030
Dialing code 0744
Patron saint San Vittore
Saint day May 14
Website Official website

Otricoli is a town and comune in the province of Terni, Umbria, Italy. It is located on the Via Flaminia, near the east bank of the Tiber, 44 miles north of Rome and 12 miles south of Narni.

History and landmarks

The Otricoli Zeus (Vatican Museum)

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[1] probably at the end of the Republican era, in order to be closer to the curve of the Tiber and the Via Flaminia, 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).

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, notably the mosaic pavement of the Sala della Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, and the celebrated head of Zeus (illustration, left) and the head of Claudius, 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.

Notes

  1. The Roman site was not walled.

External links

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 31, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.