The Portico dei Marmi: where tales meet
Welcome to the Portico dei Marmi. Here, carved stones and inscriptions are on display and, through their testimony, they tell us the history of the city and its land, its people, its institutions and all the transformations that the city underwent from the Roman period until the 1700.
Along the left wall of the room you will see the gravestones of the Roman inhabitants of the city back then called Regium Lepidi.
During this tour you will listen to the voices of these ancient people accompanied by the music of the band ‘Torso Virile Colossale’
Died young
«To the spirits of the dead of Iulia Graphis. She lived fifteen years, two months and eleven days. Quintus Iulius Alexander, sevir and magister Augustalis and Vaccia Iustina, to their dearest pupil Graphis»
Circumlator
«Caius Titius Alexander, freedman of Caius, peddler, arranged for his will, to made this monument for himself and for two women Plotulena Rufa and Plotulena Vitalis. The funerary fence measures twelve feet along the road and twelve feet towards the countryside»
Crazy in love
«Caius Naevius Dromo and Naevia Philumina, freedmans of a woman of the gens Naevia. As long as they could, they sweetly lived together for 55 years. The tomb is not part of the inheritance so that no one can be buried in their grave later»
The soldier of the Pollia Tribe
«Publius Attiedius son of Quintus, of the Pollia tribe, and Salia, daughter of Titus»
The good wife
«Publius Antilius Primus, freedman of Publius, and the chaste Romania Secunda, daughter of Titus. The funerary fence measures along the road twelve feet, towards the countryside twelve feet»
Father soldier son
«The brothers Metellius Florus and Metellius Florentinus dedicated this altar to their deserving relatives. To their father, Caius Metellius Constans, son of Caius, veteran of Augustus; to their mother, Aebutia Priscilla, daughter of Marcus; to their brother Caius Metellius Florinus, soldier of the XII Cohortes Urbanae, that lived 22 years and 13 days; to Vibius Euphemus»
Self-made woman
«I, Pettia Ge, dedicate this memorial to myself and to my former master Caius Pettius Pylades, freedman, and to the marble sculptor Caius Clodius Antiochus, freedman. And to Sperata and Sice, freedwomen of a woman of the gens Pettia. The area of the memorial measures twelve feet along the road and on the side fifteen feet deep»
Practice makes perfect
A fragmentary inscription in which the anonymous stonemason made a mistake and then tried to fix it
«... Daius
... Pol»
The importance of being Muse
«Tinuleia Musa, freedwoman of Sextus. If it is true that the ones that went into the light could enjoy the voice of the living, this memorial showed that my master liked me.
After a big funeral on my last day on earth, crying after losing me, with his usual kindness, he buried me here. In this way, it has made possible for everyone to say that I am a happy deceased, because I have been much loved»
The sevir
«To the sevir Quintus Vennonius Felix and Habilis, his freedman. The memorial measures fifteen feet each side»
The decurion
«To the spirits of the dead of Caius Iulius Valens, decurion of the city of the Regienses.
This memorial was dedicated to him by Caius Iulius Vibianus and Iulia Frontina, his freedmans and heirs»
The rise of Christianity
«To the good memory. In this place rests in the peace of the faithful, Mavarta, who lived 26 years.
She died in the peace of the faithful, on the Calends of July under the consulate of Boethius»
To all the citizens of Regium Lepidi,
to the ones from the past, the present and the future
To all the wayfarers, travellers trough Space and Time
to those who will come here,
or who will stop here
Valete Viatores
Project curated by Georgia Cantoni
Written by Valentina Uglietti
Music by Alessandro Grazian performed by Torso Virile Colossale
Editing online: Georgia Cantoni, Chiara Ferretti, Valentina Uglietti, Andrea Viani
Voices:
Julia Rossi, Teatro del Cigno
Martin Cowan, Teatro del Cigno
Zofia Guertin