"Iuxta formam aquaeductus": those private properties placed at the border with the Traiano-Paolo aqueduct on the via Aurelia Antica

Abstract

In the Christian era, along the Via Aurelia Antica, there were some catacombs, known thanks to the ancient sources. While two of them - San Pancrazio and Calepodio – have been discovered during the past years, two others – two Felicis' and Processo and Martiniano's ones - have never been found. This article proposes an updated view of the situation, also examining other private areas that present interesting historical-archaeological characteristics, specifically the areas occupied by the Schoenstatt Sanctuary, by CONSEA s.r.l. and by the Piccolomini Foundation. What emerges is a varied picture based on the analysis of scientific texts, but also on inspections and on the examination of archival documentation. The knowledge of the territory is therefore essential to be able to try to reconstruct a context that may have remained partly unexplored and partly, unfortunately, destroyed over the centuries, modified by urban stratifications.