Carsulae: The Forgotten City of Ancient Rome

SAN GEMINI – Was it a devastating earthquake that sealed its fate? Or perhaps, less dramatically, simply being bypassed by major trade routes?

The demise of Carsulae remains wrapped in a two-thousand-year-old mystery, much like its origins.

Today, this ghost town near the village of Cesi in the Terni area offers an evocative landscape—a journey through time spanning two millennia, filled with questions that remain unanswered.

What's certain is that the entire history of Umbria's "Pompeii" is intimately tied to the Via Flaminia, constructed in 220 BC by Consul Gaius Flaminius, following routes used since prehistoric times as livestock migration paths and military trails.

The Birth of a Trading Post

The Flaminia was the first public road heading north across the Italian peninsula, accelerating Roman expansion into the Po Valley. Over time, it maintained its character as a major artery connecting with minor road networks, becoming a magnetic attraction for populations settled in the hills—primarily Umbrian peoples with pastoral economies—who chose to relocate to flatland sites.

Carsulae, likely founded by merchant families established along the road, arose on the western branch of this crucial consular route, in the section running from Narni to Foligno, passing through Vicus Martis Tudertium and Bevagna.

Rise and Fall

The city underwent significant renewal during Augustus's restoration of the Flaminia. In the Christian era, it became important enough to be designated as a diocese seat. Its decline began when a diversion was opened toward Terni and Spoleto—more urbanized and economically prosperous zones—which redirected traffic elsewhere, depriving the city of its primary economic resource and causing progressive abandonment by its inhabitants.

An earthquake may have merely delivered the final blow to a city that, by the 4th century AD, already appeared prostrate and deeply degraded.

A Frozen Moment in Time

Yet, as happened at Pompeii, Carsulae's ruin became the archaeological area's fortune.

While most Roman-era buildings worldwide have disappeared beneath reconstructions and reuse layered over centuries—think of the majority of theaters and amphitheaters, including the Colosseum, where houses and other structures were built—Carsulae still allows visitors to wander through a Roman city where time has stopped.

Passing through the archaeological park's turnstiles, you can walk on paved streets marked by cart wheel ruts, observe sacred shrines with carved phalluses, admire the beauty of the theater and amphitheater, wander among marble boundary stones, temple remains, ancient apartment foundations, monumental tombs, and pass beneath the Arch of San Damiano—the city's very symbol, which over the years has become a favorite destination for lovers.

The Church of San Damiano

Standing as the sole intact building among the ruins is the Church of San Damiano, constructed in the Middle Ages using materials from Roman structures, now often chosen for weddings.

Archaeological Excavations

The city was gradually rediscovered starting in the 1600s, following the Church's growing interest in archaeology. However, only in 1783 was a proper excavation campaign organized at Pope Pius VI's initiative, aimed at enriching the Pio Clementino Museum.

The research led to the discovery of the theater and amphitheater, but the scarcity of movable artifacts caused archaeologists to abandon the site. Archaeological digs at Carsulae truly resumed only in 1851, reaching their peak between 1951 and 1972 through the efforts of Inspector of Antiquities Umberto Ciotti.

Major Structures

The extensive work to bring Carsulae up from the earth's depths also saw the reconstruction of ancient structures using original pieces, including the arch that adorned the forum entrance—probably built during the Augustan restoration period—and the podium of twin temples, likely dedicated to the Dioscuri. Below these temples, in a later era, a series of taverns had been carved out for residents and travelers passing along the Flaminia.

The Theater

The theater, built during the Julio-Claudian period, was constructed primarily in reticulated masonry and featured a 62-meter cavea. Two ramp staircases provided access to a landing from which sections of the upper cavea could be reached. Of the scene—which must have measured 37×12 meters—few remains survive, along with beam sockets for technical machinery and the curtain. Under the cavea, during the first excavation campaign, a room called the "ivory room" was found, containing 70 fragments of ivory decorations, together with others in marble, ceramic, metal, and several grams of gold leaf.

The Amphitheater

The amphitheater, built later, had an ellipsoidal shape with a major axis of 86.50 meters. Much of the work was excavated into the natural terrain depression, while the remainder was constructed with limestone blocks and brick courses.

Other Notable Buildings

Among other visible structures, the basilica—used for public assemblies—had a central nave and two side aisles separated by rows of columns, while the apse at the back housed the magistrate's chair. Additionally, the Cistern Antiquarium was used to collect water, and the Collegium Iuvenum served as a school for young people.

Outside the urban nucleus lies the cemetery area, displaying a series of funerary monuments, including a large drum-shaped one possibly belonging to the Furia family, datable to the first century BC.

What Lies Beneath

In reality, all this represents less than 10% of ancient Carsulae. Most of the Roman city still lies buried underground—a submerged world whose fragments continue to emerge during excavation campaigns that still take place in the area today.

Particularly important were the results of the 2017 campaign, which brought to light a new domus emerging just south of the forum square, structures on the west side of the square, and much more.

The Thermal Baths

Another excavation campaign—promoted by an American university starting in 2005 and led by Jane Whitehead—uncovered the thermal baths, giving rise to an intriguing hypothesis: that already in Roman times, water from the nearby San Gemini springs was used for its curative properties.

Visiting the Park

Beyond the archaeological area (where guided tours and themed paths are offered), the park includes the Visitor and Documentation Center with the Antiquarium (displaying lanterns, burial markers, statue fragments, and sarcophagi), as well as a shop, bar, Paleolab, and spaces hosting conferences, performances, exhibitions, and educational activities for children.

Digital Innovation

Among the innovations is an application that allows immersion in ancient Carsulae, observing the city in its original appearance and in three dimensions.

After viewing the video "Carsulae 69 AD" inside the Visitor Center, which virtually reconstructs life in the ancient Roman city, visitors can download the dedicated application free on smartphones and tablets. With this, they can scan QR codes present on 24 information panels and access their multimedia content.

Available services include maps, audio guides in Italian and English, animated videos, image galleries with virtual reconstructions of buildings, and 360-degree representations.

Cultural Events

The archaeological park has often served as a backdrop for evocative events such as Pink Floyd tribute band concerts, Marco Paolini's U-Ulisse with Arnaldo Pomodoro and Uri Caine, the thematic "Imperator—Imaginary Journey into the Lives of the Caesars" by Stefano de Majo and Livia Massarelli (which returned the Roman theater to its original function several years ago), and Argentine Fernando Rubio's experimental "Todo lo que está a mi lado"—a curious performance where spectators must lie in bed with the actress in the middle of the meadow.

Cinema hasn't been absent among the Roman ruins either: Luca Manfredi chose them as the set for a "meta-film," shooting a scene for the fiction "In arte Nino" set on a film set where young Nino Manfredi debuts as an actor playing a shepherd boy.