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Area Archeologica “La Cuma”, II-I secolo a.C.
Portico
The “La Cuma” Archaeological Area of the Hellenistic Roman Sanctuary of Monte Rinaldo is situated in the upper valley of the Aso River, in a landscape and environmental context characterized by the charming territory of mainly agricultural vocation. The monumental complex is a significant expression of Romanization of the Piceno, ranking amongst the most important witnesses of the late republican age (II-I century BC) in the region. At the archaeological site it is possible to admire the remains of what should have been a sanctuary dedicated to the ritual of healing, a healing practice tied to water, abundant in the area due to the presence of several waterways. From the excavations carried out in the “La Cuma” contrada, between 1958 and 1964 the following have come to light: a portico, a temple, a rectangular building of undefined use, a well and canalization tracks. The portico (or stoà), with an east-west orientation, involves two parallel colonnades of ionic-italic order and a back wall in large sandstone blocks, forming the architectonic scene of the whole complex. Of the temple, located in front of the porch and oriented towards the South, only remain the ruins of the podium: the hypothetical plant of the Templar building could have been of a central cell with two wings or of a tripartite cell. The architectonic terracotta decorations recovered in the excavation area, created to cover and decorate the elements of the temple and the porch, are now part of the exhibition of the “La Cuma”Civic Archaeological Museum of Monte Rinaldo.
Colonnato del Portico
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