Mitreo di Spoleto

TNMM 19 ↔ CIMRM 673

Mithraeum, discovered at Spoleto in 1878 on a plot called 'I Casini', in the neighbourhood of the Porta S. Gregorio.

The sanctuary (L. 21.10 Br. 3.90) is divided in a central aisle (Br. 1.46) and two side-benches (H. 0.77 Br. 1.22). These benches are cut in two (L. 10.30 and 5.83) by a corridor (Br.2.05) with its entrance on the right. To ascend the benches, there are small flights of stairs on either side. The podia come to an end at a distance of 2.92 meters from the back-wall. An understructure was made here, formerly divided into three parts by pillars, which supported columns. Only their bases have been preserved. In the middle part (Br. 1.50 D. 0.74) must have been the main scene of Mithras tauroctone, whereas in the two other niches the torchbearers had probably been represented. Between the left niche and the bench there was another kind of bench (H. 0.55 Br. 0.55).

In the middle of the wall of the benches on either side two niches had been made. The first two are at a distance of 5.30 from the back-wall on floor-level (H. 0.32 Br. 0.30 D. 0.22), the other two (H. 0.30 Br. 0.23 D. 0.22) were constructed 0.30 higher at a distance of 0041 from the central aisle. At DD there are moreover two round holes in the form of holy-water basins. Three terracotta vases have been found in them.

The floor of the central aisle was covered with marble, the walls were covered with marble slabs as well. The walls of the benches were covered with plaster-work and several fragments with a red colour have been found. According to Gori many roofing-tiles have been found with a lot of material, damaged by fire.

The door of the Mithraeum gives entry into a hall (L. 7.22 Br. 4.85), from which through another door one can get into an adjacent room (L. 14.80 Br. 4.80). There are several more rooms adjoining the sanctuary. These may form part of a large dwelling. Here were found a sacrificial knife and a piece of marble with the signs of the zodiac.

The Mithraeum of Spoleto was discovered in 1878 by Professor Fabio Gori on behalf of Marquis Filippo Marignoli, the owner of the land. It is located in Via Bruno Buozzi, behind Villa Redenta, between house numbers 26 and 28.

It is 4 metres wide and 18.42 metres long.

At the time of its discovery, it still had the remains of mosaics and plasterwork in red. From the remains it appears that the collapsed roof was vaulted. There were also rooms on the right, perhaps intended for the priest's quarters. These were lost with urban expansion and the railway works. Marignoli did not complete the excavations, but constructed a building to protect the ruins, which later collapsed.

Many objects were found inside, including a terracotta lantern, coins of Emperor Gratian and Emperor Constantine, a plaster statuette of Apollo, and a medal in the shape of a horn with effigies of the sun and moon.

It is not possible to establish the time of its construction, vaguely situated between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Then it was probably destroyed by the Christians in the 4th century, as also happened to the Mithraeum of Vulci. Time and neglect did the rest: today it is unfortunately in a very bad state, covered by vegetation, so that only a small part of it can be seen.

In the archaeological museum of Spoleto there are some objects related to the Mithraeum: part of statuettes (arm and hand) found there and on which Canzio Sapori wrote the word 'Mithraeum' in pencil, and watercolours by Silvestro Silvestri showing the state of the place.