Forum Fulvii
Encyclopedia
Forum Fulvii was a small but flourishing Ligurian
/Celt
ic first, then Roman settlement on the Via Fulvia, a road of north-west Italy, probably laid out by M. Fulvius Flaccus
, consul in 125 BCE, from Dertona (today’s Tortona) to Hasta Pompeia (Asti). It has sometimetimes been identified with Valenza
, but is now known to have been in the village of Villa del Foro, a suburb of Alessandria
, population 433, some 7 km WSW of the town’s centre.
It is located close to the river Tanaro, just below its confluence with the Belbo
. Excavations of the site that have taken place since the 1980s, have revealed 200 metres of this tract of the road, which was in use from 125 BCE until the second century CE. It is about twelve metres in breadth and was constructed of riverine cobblestones mixed with small bricks and slag
from iron smelting. It is notable that the road had to be resurfaced on a number of occasions after suffering from floods.
Forum Fulvii flourished between the second century BCE and the third century CE; it was a centre for trade (the Tanaro, as well as the Via Fulvia, was an important means of transportation) and the artisanal manufacture of glass (see Roman glass
), ceramics and iron goods. It is likely that the Roman settlement was abandoned as a result of repeated flooding: to this day the Tanaro and the Belbo have the capacity to cause great damage after periods of torrential rain. Nevertheless, Forum Fulvii must have been re-settled by the eighth century, as Paul the Deacon
refers to it in his Historia Langobardorum:
In 2007 nearby excavations for a methane pipeline brought to light an ancient underground pipeline which seems to have been designed to carry water from the Tanaro to Forum Fulvii. It apparently dates from the pre-Roman period.
The Antiquarium Forum Fulvii, in Via Oviglio, displays finds from the excavations and provides orientation in understanding the site of the Roman town.
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
/Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic first, then Roman settlement on the Via Fulvia, a road of north-west Italy, probably laid out by M. Fulvius Flaccus
Marcus Fulvius Flaccus (consul 125 BC)
Marcus Fulvius Flaccus was a Roman senator and an ally of the Gracchi. He became an administrator of the agrarian reform in 130 BC, and as a solution to the problem of land division among the allied cities, proposed Roman citizenship for the allies' citizens, thus introducing a question that vexed...
, consul in 125 BCE, from Dertona (today’s Tortona) to Hasta Pompeia (Asti). It has sometimetimes been identified with Valenza
Valenza
Valenza is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km east of Turin and about 11 km north of Alessandria.-History:...
, but is now known to have been in the village of Villa del Foro, a suburb of Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
, population 433, some 7 km WSW of the town’s centre.
It is located close to the river Tanaro, just below its confluence with the Belbo
Belbo
The Belbo is a river of southern Piedmont, Italy. It is a right-side tributary of the Tanaro.The Belbo rises in the Langhe, on the borders between Piedmont and Liguria in the hills of Montezemolo....
. Excavations of the site that have taken place since the 1980s, have revealed 200 metres of this tract of the road, which was in use from 125 BCE until the second century CE. It is about twelve metres in breadth and was constructed of riverine cobblestones mixed with small bricks and slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
from iron smelting. It is notable that the road had to be resurfaced on a number of occasions after suffering from floods.
Forum Fulvii flourished between the second century BCE and the third century CE; it was a centre for trade (the Tanaro, as well as the Via Fulvia, was an important means of transportation) and the artisanal manufacture of glass (see Roman glass
Roman glass
Roman glass objects have been recovered across the Roman Empire in domestic, industrial and funerary contexts. Glass was used primarily for the production of vessels, although mosaic tiles and window glass were also produced. Roman glass production developed from Hellenistic technical traditions,...
), ceramics and iron goods. It is likely that the Roman settlement was abandoned as a result of repeated flooding: to this day the Tanaro and the Belbo have the capacity to cause great damage after periods of torrential rain. Nevertheless, Forum Fulvii must have been re-settled by the eighth century, as Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred, Barnefridus and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
refers to it in his Historia Langobardorum:
In the time of this king [ Liutprand, King of the LombardsLiutprand, King of the LombardsLiutprand was the King of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his long reign, which brought him into a series of conflicts, mostly successful, with most of Italy. He profited by Byzantine weakness to enlarge his domains in Emilia and the...
] there was in the place whose name is Forum, near the river Tanarus, a man of wonderful holiness Baodolinus by name, who, aided by the grace of Christ, was distinguished for many miracles.
In 2007 nearby excavations for a methane pipeline brought to light an ancient underground pipeline which seems to have been designed to carry water from the Tanaro to Forum Fulvii. It apparently dates from the pre-Roman period.
The Antiquarium Forum Fulvii, in Via Oviglio, displays finds from the excavations and provides orientation in understanding the site of the Roman town.