Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia

It was later the birthplace of some leading figures of the Roman Empire, such as the consul Gaius Fufius Geminus and Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus.

The itinerary starts at the Archaeological Museum which houses, among other things, epigraphs, statues and portraits that were excavated in Urbisaglia from the middle of the 18th century onwards.

Just outside the medieval city walls, on the highest point of the site, you can find the large reservoir collecting and cleaning the water coming from the Roman Aqueduct of Urbs Salvia.

The reservoir provided the whole town with spring water and it was situated in the highest area inside Urbs Salvia so that it could be powered only by gravity.

At the foot of the hill, conveniently placed alongside the via Salaria Gallica (i.e., the main line of communication in the Picenum, here matching up with the cardo maximus of the town), was the sanctuary-complex.

The amphitheatre was built after the year 81 AD by the Urbisalvian Titus' military general Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus, who captured the Masada fortress in Palestine.

The external wall of the cavea (auditorium) had a series of semicircular niches which later formed the supports of the stairs to the entrances on the upper floors.

Satyr from Urbs Salvia, II sec AD (Vatican museums)
Ganymede and Zeus' eagle from Urbs Salvia (Vatican museums)
Reservoir, Urbs Salvia
Roman theatre of Urbs Salvia
Roman amphiteatre of Urbs Salvia