Friday, September 20, 2013

SACRED AREA OF LARGO ARGENTINA

AREA SACRA DI LARGO ARGENTINA
It was discovered in the years 1926/28 during the demolition of the Palazzi Aquari, Rossi, Chiassi-Cesarini and the church of S. Nicola dei Cesarini
When the Sacred Area was evaluated extremely important for the history of the Roman Republic, it was decided not to build the planned new buildings and to enhance it archaeologically in the original site
Conventionally referred to as A, B, C and D, from right to left facing west
They were found in the years 1926/28. Excavations sacrificed medieval structures and the remains of a brick building of the first century AD that connected the temples: it was at least two stories high and was probably the headquarters office for water and aqueducts
The oldest temple (about 300/290 BC) is the TEMPLE C very likely to be identified with the Temple of Feronia the ancient Italic goddess connected to the worship of water
Then, in chronological order, the TEMPLE A, maybe the temple of Juno Temple Curritis but more likely Temple of Juturna another water deity, founded in 241 BC by Quinto Lutazio Catulo after the triumph over the Carthaginians of the same year
Over the temple in the ninth century, if not before, the church of S. Nicola dei Cesarini was built. It was also known as S. Nicola de Calcarario 
Then the TEMPLE D, the Temple of the Lares Permarini 179 BC. Placed in the Vetus Porticus Minucia which was later expanded in the nearby Porticus Minucia Frumentaria. It was a large area east of the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina, the place where the free distribution of grain to the Roman citizens used to take place 
Finally, the ROUND TEMPLE B the Aedes Fortunae Huiusce Diei or "Temple of the fortune of this day" founded in 101 BC by Quinto Lutazio Catulo, namesake of the man who had built the Temple of Juturna, consul with Mario, following the victory over the Cimbri at Vercelli
The huge pieces of the colossal statue acrolith (the head is 1.46 m - 4.80 feet) in Greek marble representing the maybe female deity of the temple are now in the Centrale Montemartini
The acrolith was statue in which the trunk of the figure was made of wood, and the head, hands, and feet were made of marble. The wood was concealed either by drapery or by gilding and only the marble parts were exposed to view
In the west part of the area BIG PODIUM made out of blocks of tufa stone, inserted, as Dio Cassius recalls, between two latrines that were built only in the imperial age: it is what remains of the hall of about 20 x 20 m (66 x 66 feet) inserted in the area of the portico of the Theatre of Pompey
It was the place of meetings of the Senate on 15 March 44 BC when Julius Caesar was killed inside the building, at the foot of the heroic statue of Pompey
It's amazing that the City of Rome does not even remember with a plaque the place where one of the most famous men that ever walked this planet died: most of area where the Curia of Pompey used to be, in front of the Teatro Argentina, is occupied by a tram stop
In the south east corner. Twelfth century. It used to belong to the Pierleoni family, a member of which was anti-pope under the name of Anacleto II (1130/38), from whose inferior status came the popular name of the tower
Later it belonged to the Boccamazzi family
The porch was built in 1932
It is popularly confused with the Torre Argentina, which is actually a tower house incorporated in Via del Sudario 44 which belonged to Johann Burckardt, master of ceremonies of five popes from Sixtus IV to Julius II. He named it Argentina in honor of his hometown Strasbourg, Argentorotum in Latin

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