On an area of about 1,000 square meters, located beneath the Cathedral Square, an archaeological site of exceptional interest opens up to the visitor, preserving evidence of the earliest phases of the city, from the pre-Roman era to the early Middle Ages.
The majority of the visible structures date back to the Roman period and belong to an urban neighborhood that developed on the southern slopes of the hill, at the intersection of two paved roads.
In addition to remains of private buildings with rooms used as shops (to the north), a building with a heating system using hypocaust (to the east) and a large structure with marble and mosaic floors, identifiable as the seat (schola) of some important professional associations (to the west), have been partially preserved. Following the collapse of the Roman city, a large building of narrow and elongated shape developed in the area, with an orientation that is diagonal to the previous layout; dated to the 8th-9th centuries AD, it is probably connected to the oldest episcopal seat of the city as suggested by the type, dimensions, and quality of the construction and its proximity to the cathedral.
A later structure (late 11th - 12th century) is a circular-shaped baptistery, of which little more than the foundations are preserved, with seven pillars on the inner ring and a horseshoe-shaped apse. In later times, the entire area was designated for funerary use.
Closed for restoration throughout 2024
