Museo Archeologico,
Palazzo Trinci
The museum is laid out in nine rooms in Palazzo Trinci:
- in the ticket office and four adjacent rooms (3-6) on the first floor, although Room 6 is currently empty (June 2008);
- in two rooms (1-2) on the mezzanine, reached from Room 3; and
- in three rooms (7-9) on the ground floor, at the foot of the Gothic staircase.
Room 1
Plestini
These people lived on the shores of a lake (drained in the 15th century) on the upland plateau to the east of modern Colfiorito (see the page "around Foligno"), which forms an important pass across the Apennines from the Valle Umbra to the Adriatic. The settlement, which later became Roman Plestia, was near the church of Santa Maria di Plestia. |
Grave goods of the Plestini (9th - 3rd century BC)
These grave goods came from the necropolis of some 250 tombs that was discovered in 1962.
Finds from the sanctuary to Cupra (6th – 1st centuries BC)
These finds include a large number of small bronze votive offerings from a sanctuary here. Antefixes found on the site suggest that the sanctuary was monumentalised in the 4th century BC.
A bronze plaque (4th century BC) that was also found here [which is now in the Museo Archeologico, Perugia ??] contains one of the earliest surviving inscriptions in the Umbrian language. It reveals that the sanctuary was dedicated to Cupra and identifies her as the mother of the "Pletinas". Cupra "continued" into Roman times as Venus.
[The following were in the Museo Archeologico, Perugia. Have they been moved here ??
Grave goods from Colfiorito and Annifo (6th century BC)
These prestige grave goods came from tombs 248 (of a noble woman)
and 176 (of a warrior) at modern Colfiorito and from the princely tomb
at nearby Annifo. The latter included the remains of a chariot. The
arrangement of the goods in these tombs point to the use of a complex
burial ritual in this period. ]
Fulginates
The plain around modern Foligno was the site of another lake or swamp
area known as the Lacus Umber in pre-Roman times. An Umbrian people
whom the Romans called Fulginates occupied the slopes to the east of
it. Excavations have also revealed hill fort used by these people at Monte di Pale (see the page "around Foligno"), some 10 km north east of Foligno. |
Votive offerings from Cancelli (6th – 3rd century BC)
These bronze objects discovered at Cancelli (some 13 km east of Foligno and 9 km south of Pale) indicate that there was an Umbrian sanctuary here.
Grave goods (6th – 5th centuries BC)
These grave goods came from two of the six tombs that were discovered in 1976 in Via Po (on the site of the later Roman city of Fulginiae - see below). This is almost the only evidence of the pre-Roman Fulginates near the modern city, and the site may have marked to edge of the lake that was later drained for the Roman municipium.
Helmet of “Mars” (ca. 500 BC)
This small votive bronze, in the form of a warrior's helmet, was found in 1998 during excavations in Piazza del Risorgimento (see below). It was the only pre-Roman object found on the site: its presence suggests that there was a sanctuary associated with the necropolis at nearby Via Po (above).
Roman FulginiaeThe Romans probably drained the the Lacus Umber in ca. 220 BC to
facilitate the construction of Via Flaminia. The Fulginates seem to
have gravitated to this reclaimed land and to have built a city on it
that the Romans called Fulginiae, Fulginia or Fulginium. This seems to
have been to the east of the modern city, in an area centred on the
archeological area and bounded by the railway line, the Fosso Renaro,
Via Rubicone and Via Santa Maria in Campis.
What is known about the history of this city comes from Roman sources, which describe it as a city in the plain that had no defensive walls. |
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View of the modern city from the site of Roman Fulginiae |
Antefixes (3rd century BC)
These terracotta antefixes come from a sanctuary on an artificial terrace at the summit of the Sasso di Pale (see the page "Hike: Belfiore - Foligno". ). The sanctuary had been in use in pre-Roman times, but was monumentalised in the early Roman period.
Inscription from San Pietro di Flamignano (3rd/early 2nd century BC)
This inscription was found in 1926 at San Pietro di Flamignano, near Sant' Eraclio, some 3 km south of Santa Maria in Campis along Via Flaminia. It is in the Umbrian language and uses the Latin alphabet:
bia . opset |
The
first line relates to the construction of a fountain, and the rest
records (probably as a dating device) two marones (Umbrian magistrates):
T(itus) Foltonius; and Se(xtus) Petronius.
Inscription (2nd century BC)
This cippus, which was found in a field near
Santa Maria in Campis, contains an Umbrian inscription (CIL XI 5207) that uses
the Latin alphabet:
| SUPUNNE SACR |
This has been taken to mean "sacred to Supunne", an otherwise unknown Umbrian deity (perhaps a river god or goddess).
Finds from the necropolis (1st - 3rd centuries AD)
This necropolis was discovered in 1969 during work to extend the cemetery next to Santa Maria in Campis. It extended along a stretch of Via Flaminia that was also unearthed during the excavations. A series of excavations was carried out in 1970-8.
Some 180 tombs have been discovered to date, about a third of which were incinerations and two thirds inhumations. The associated grave goods are generally unremarkable. An exception is a bronze askos (ca. 100 AD) from tomb 160 that is of fine quality.
Finds from Piazza del Risorgimento (1st - 3rd centuries BC)
The piazza was the site of systematic excavation in 1998 (on the site of Roman Fulginiae - see Walk III).
The remains of a Roman road were discovered: this probably belonged to a connecting link between the two branches of Via Flaminia. There were 22 tombs along one side of the road: 8 inhumation graves, and 12 that contained cremated bodies. In tomb 12, which was the largest, there were signs of the fire used for cremation and an interesting collection of grave goods that included bone fragments from a funerary bed.
A horde of over 3,000 silver coins (1st century BC) that had been buried in a leather sack was found near the graves at the roadside.
The votive bronze helmet (ca. 500 BC) mentioned above was found during this excavation.
Room 2
Reconstructed inhumation grave (2nd century AD)
This stone-lined grave (number 43) from the necropolis at Santa Maria in Campis has been reconstructed in the floor of the museum.
Sarcophagus (1st century BC)
This stone sarcophagus, with a relief of a man in a toga, was discovered in 1969 in the necropolis at Santa Maria in Campis.
Sarcophagus
(1st century BC)
Michele Faloci Pulignani acquired this sarcofagus, with a relief of a woman in a stolla, in 1938. Its original provenance is unknown.
Ticket Office
Lions (13th century)
These two stone statues of lions from the (now demolished) church of Santa Maria Maddalena (see Walk I), were carved from a Roman inscription (1st century AD).
Room 3
Figure in a toga (1st century AD)
This large figure was found in 1618 in Via Torri di Properzio, Spello, and found its way into the collection of Ludovico Jacobilli. Room 4
San Giovanni ProfiammaThis small town is some 6 km north
of Foligno (see
the page "around Foligno"). It was the site of
the Roman settlement of Forum Flaminii, a trading post that developed in ca. 220 BC at the northern junction of the two branches of Via Flaminia. It became a municipium in ca. 90 BC and was connected for administrative purposes with nearby Fulginiae. St Felician was born here in 169. Pope Victor I ordained
him as the first bishop of the city and he held this position until his
death in ca. 251. The Lombards destroyed this city in ca. 740. The church of San Giovanni Profiamma was built here before 1138 using material from a
Christian basilica (6th century AD) that had stood nearby. A large complex of Roman baths was discovered near the church in the 19th and excavated in an ad hoc manner in the early 20th century.
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Head of Livia (14-31 AD)
This bust, which was part of a fountain, was discovered in 1912 at San Giovanni Profiamma.
Inscription (1st century AD)
This inscription (CIL XI 7993), which was found during the excavation of the Roman baths at San Giovanni Profiamma in 1832, reads:
| [CES]IAE [S]ABINAE |
Inscriptions (3rd century AD)
These inscriptions (CIL XI 5215-6) from the base of a statue found at San Giovanni Profiamma commemorate Publius Aelius Marcellus, a soldier from the Roman province of Apulum (in modern Romania).
Room 7
Mosaic (5th or 6th century AD)
This mosaic came from the floor of a Christian basilica that was discovered near the church of San Giovanni Profiamma in 1929. It was moved to Palazzo Trinci, where it was damaged during the bombardment of 1944. The main scene depicts two peacocks drinking from a cantharos (drinking cup with two handles), which represents eternal life.
Rooms 8 and 9
Mosaic floors (2nd century AD)
These mosaics came from rooms in a Roman domus that was discovered slightly to the east of Piazza del Risorgimento (on the site of Roman Fulginiae - see Walk III) in 1968.
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