Urbs Salvia – A Hidden Ancient Roman Treasure In The Marche

It is August and that means it’s vacation time in Italy. I spent two busy weeks at my in-laws and finally went to the Roman ruins close to their house. ( I know I am very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws! Especially such a lovely Italian Mother In-Law!) Driving by Urbisaglia all these years, I thought it was just ruins of an amphitheatre but I discovered it was so much more.

Let me share with you the most important Roman settlement within the Marche region of Italy.

Urbs Salvia was situated at the crossroads of two important roads connecting the towns of the region during the Roman period. Urbs Salvia was a municipium during the Republican age and upgraded to a colonia, therefore a major city, during the reign of Augustus.

Unfortunately, the museum was still closed due to the earthquake four years ago, so our first stop was the water reservoir at the top of the hill, hidden beneath the medieval town. For a large hole in the ground, I found it very interesting, much to the amusement of my mother in-law who joined me on the tour. (She has lived here all her life and this was the first time to visit the ruins!)

The reservoir is two parallel vaulted tunnels around 51m in length, 2.9m wide and 4.1m high. It could hold around 1000 cubic meters of water. The guide informed us however, that usually there was only water to about 1 meter in depth yet it was enough to support the entire town at the bottom of the hill. The water was brought by aqueducts from a nearby spring, all by the amazing power of gravity. The water then left the reservoir by way of lead pipes. The entrance and exit holes are still visible, as are the ventilation ducts that would have been covered to prevent sunlight from entering and encouraging algae. They also facilitated the checking of the water level and any routine maintenance.

The reservoir was discovered when the family were digging in their garden above and accidently broke through.

Near the top of the hill, we found a theatre, one of the largest in central Italy. It was built in 23AD and it’s still in reasonable condition. From the theatre, you can imagine the centre of the ancient city running on a north-south axis, with the forum in the middle and the sacred area at the foot of the hill. The walls and gates of the city are well preserved and they enclosed the city in an almost perfect square, protecting an area of more than 40 hectares.

A building with arcades and niches acted as a retaining wall and connected the different levels of the town. The drainage channels and some frescos still remain.

Crossing the bridge over the modern main road, which was the Salaria Gallica, we visited the sacred area. There we explored the remains of the podium on which the temple once stood. A temple dedicated to Salus Augusta, the protector of the Emperor. It was a complex structure, the majority of what is left is the cryptoporticus.

What is a cryptoporticus?

I’m so glad you asked. It was a wide covered vaulted corridor running around three sides of the base of the temple podium, separated by a series of arches. Since priests were the only ones allowed to enter the actual temple, when people came to pray here, they could do so underneath. There were various niches that suggested alters, along the walls. The guide informed us that there was evidence to suggest that the faithful were permitted to stay here during their pilgrimage.  

The best part about the cryptoporticus?

The paintings. Preserved but not retouched with colour in any way, they were beautiful. The inner walls were decorated in a similar Pompeian style with red being the dominant colour. Scenes with predator animals hunting weaker prey run along the top border, suggesting Rome’s strength and ability to conquer its weaker rivals. The central part shows men dressed for war, with shields and weapons and a dark blue border runs along the base of the wall.

The structure was predominantly built with bricks, as the river runs close by providing abundant clay. The bricks were coated in plaster painted to resemble marble. Clever and economical! We also know who provided most if not all of the bricks. Various bricks are stamped with the seal of their maker.

Just like nowadays, cities liked to keep all the drunken crowded revelieries that seem to attach themselves to stadiums, outside the main city. Urbs Salvia was no different.

Outside the city walls, a local military general, Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus, (famous for capturing the Masada fortress in Palestine) used his spoils of war to build a large amphitheatre and it was opened in 81 AD. It could seat 5150 spectators and was used for animal hunts and gladiator games.

All we can see now, is the outer walls and the vomitoria. The amphitheatre seating area is covered in huge trees and the central arena is used for concerts in summer.

Again, these Romans were smart. To save on building materials, they built the outer wall and used earth to build up the different seating levels inside, then they covered the earth in shiny marble. I suppose I have to give the people in the Middle Ages some credit too… They used (stole, robbed, destroyed. Pick the word you prefer,) an abundant source of ready cut marble to build local churches, leaving the earth underneath exposed and ready to germinate and support a multitude of beech trees.

 Good thing I have a good imagination and someone created a reconstruction online. I found two hidden QR codes within the amphitheatre leading me to the following pages:

https://kuula.co/post/7PBSQ

https://kuula.co/post/7PBQw

If you are ever in the area, I recommend making time to stop here and visit the best ancient roman settlement within the Marche. A hidden gem for those that love anything to do with Ancient Rome!

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