Mitreo di Piazza della Navicella

TNMM 595 ↔ CIMRM 327

On the Caelius a Mithraeum seems to have existed on the spot where nowadays the Piazza della Navicella is situated, or in its immediate surroundings (cf. Colini, Storia Celio, 48). Here in May 1555 the two following monuments were discovered, dug up by Girolamo Altieri in area Divae Mariae semper Virginis in Coelio monte cognomento in Domnica (cf. B. Aegius in a note to the Bibliotheca of Apollodorus, f. 1,2.1; .see CIL VI 81).

These monuments were transported to the Palazzo Altieri al Gesù, and were copied here by Pighius (Bibl. Berl. ms. lat. A 61 f. 9) and by Giovantonio Dosio (cf. Huelsen in Ausonia VII, 1912, 24 who prints these copies after folios from the Bibliotheca Marucelliana at Florence, ms. 100 fol. 150a and 148).

Of the Mithraeum itself nothing has been preserved; through excavations nella Cava alla Navicella in 1771 blocks of travertine came to light (Colini, 236).

Mitreo di Piazza della Navicella. The existence of a Mithraeum on the Caelius
hill in the area of Piazza della Navicella or in the immediate surroundings has been
suggested, based on the finding of the following monuments. No architectural trace
of a sanctuary was preserved at the time of the discovery of these monuments.