A Gazetteer of the Roman World

[ 521 pages, 354 photos, 168 drawings, 31 maps & plans ]

ROME

Some of the items most often searched for:
Amphitheatrum Castrense • Ara Pacis • Arch of Constantine • Colosseum • Palatine Hill • Pantheon • Trajan's Column

Two mysteries:
Basilica Aemilia • Basilica Julia

[ 3 pages, 21 photos:
20 of Volubilis and 1 of Augusta Zilil ]

Mauretania Tingitana was the Roman province roughly corresponding to Morocco. There are still very few photographs online of Roman remains in that country: these, mostly black-and‑white pictures I took thirty-five years ago, may therefore be useful. Some are pretty good.

[ 6/6/98: 9 pages, 31 photos ]

The beginnings of a site on the Basilica of Sant' Ambrogio in Milan:

• the so‑called "Sarcophagus of Stilicho"
• the 5c mosaics of the imperial chapel of S. Vittore
• a photograph of the bodies of SS. Ambrose (d. 397), Gervase and Protase (3c)
• a number of attractive capitals in the atrium of the church, and
• some particularly interesting Roman inscriptions in the same atrium.

[ 8 pages; 24 photos ]

The Roman city of Hispellum, now Spello: some of the gates, the Case of the Vanishing Amphitheatre, and some inscriptions including a particularly attractive funerary altar.

[ 6 pages, 14 photos: ]

A small site on the Etruscan and Roman town of Rusellae near Grosseto:
• a walk around the amphitheatre of a small town
• a few simple mosaic pavements
• a view of the forum
• three small Etruscan tombs

[ 2 pages, 5 photos ]

Etruscan remains of Vetulonia: the Arx and the Tomba della Fibula d'Oro.

[ 1 page, 4 photos ]

Some believe that these curious Etruscan rock cuts around Pitigliano are roads. Maybe they're quarries. No one knows, although the most amazing theories abound.

[ 3 pages, 12 photos ]

So you thought Assisi was all St. Francis and frescoes? Think again! Assisium has one of the better preserved Roman temples in Europe; but also a Roman amphitheatre, inscriptions, sarcophagi, a Roman cistern, and even some fragments of Roman walls.

[ 3 pages, 8 photos ]

Some Etruscan Tombs: in addition to those at Rusellae and Vetulonia mentioned above, the Ipogeo dei Volumni, a particularly well-preserved late Etruscan chamber tomb near Perugia; and the necropolis of Crocifisso di Tufo near Orvieto.

[ 4 pages, 3 images + 2 close-ups ]

The walls of the council room in the town hall of the central Italian city of Città di Castello (the Tifernum Tiberinum of Roman times) are paved with Roman inscriptions, including one that witnesses to the career of Pliny the Younger, who had a villa nearby. But for now, as a teaser, here are two of the others, both rather interesting.

(Not to mislead you: the picture you see here is the Palazzo del Podestà, not the Town Hall.)

[ 1/30/02: 2 pages, 3 photos ]

From Feb 97 to Jan 02, Ostia, the first port of Rome, was amply covered by a large dedicated site of several hundred pages, with photos, maps, plans, and a massive bibliography. While my own site cannot in any way replace it, I'll be sharing a few pictures of my own from time to time and may be able to add other material as well.

[ 4 pages, 8 photos not counted elsewhere ]

Roman Waterworks & Hydraulic Engineering
The Meta Sudans in Rome, a latrine in Ostia, an image of the Pont du Gard with its associated links to 40 websites, plus links to the cistern of S. Rufino and one of the inscriptions of Tifernum: a grab-bag of miscellaneous items, somewhat unified by a major article on aqueducts and my text of Frontinus.

[ 2 pages, 4 photos ]

Children in the Roman World includes a page of the Ara Pacis and a brief article on the bulla praetexta

[ 12/5/98: 5 pages, 7 photos ]

Rimini, the end of the Via Flaminia: a Roman gate and an interesting inscription. The main Roman monument in town, Tiberius' massively elegant bridge, should be coming by the end of the year.

[ complete — includes 3 maps ]

Roman Roads in Britain, by Thomas Codrington: published in 1903, this authoritative classic is now in the public domain. Not only does it provide an enormous amount of information about its specific topic, but it offers many insights into the basic tools and methods available to the student of Roman roads. For example, the introduction includes a general discussion of study methodology and of road construction techniques, plus the 15 British itinera of the Antonine Itinerary.

[ 6 pages ]

Theatres and Amphitheatres
Each orientation page links to those found on this site, and has an associated link page: 450 amphitheatre sites, 280 theatre sites. Theaters and amphitheaters are each covered by a major article from Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1875) illustrated with plans, diagrams and photos.

[ 4 pages, 3 photos ]

Saintes /Mediolanum Santonum/ in western France: the amphitheatre, the Arch of Germanicus, and an interesting excerpt from the Letters of Sir Thomas Browne (mid-17th century) on his visit to the Roman and medieval town.

[ 1 page, 3 photos ]

Free Association on some reused Roman stones, a placename, and the Via Flaminia: S. Donato of Matigge