BELOW THE STREETS OF TRENTO LIE THE RUINS OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF “TRIDENTUM”

The antique city of “Tridentum”, or the “splendidum municipium” as it was called by Emperor Claudius in 46 A.D., was already mentioned by scholars in documents written in the XVI century, however it was not until the beginning of the 1920s that concrete traces of it were found. It was then necessary to wait until the eighties before the archaeological excavations took off with a vengeance, and the nineties before seeing some satisfying results. But now all the hard work has paid off, and at last Tridentum – the Roman city of Trento – is ready to stir in the hearts of visitors long forgotten emotions and give us a glimpse of what life was like in those far off times. All you have to do is follow the steps down to the extraordinary underground archaeological park, which can be reached from Piazza Cesare Battisti, and which stretches out under the Teatro Sociale.The archaeological area is vast, covering 1,700 square metres, and provides an interesting cross section of the ancient city. An interesting stretch of wall has been unearthed, about 30 metres long, made of mortar, stone and cobbles (opus coementicium), characterised by the remains of a tower which had been transformed towards the end of the Roman Empire into a city-gate. The most important discovery however is the road, 50 metres long, paved in large red stones, marked with deep ruts left by the wheels of Roman carts and carriages and flanked by pavements, below which runs an ancient network of sewage pipes. This road, leading to the centre of the city, was once lined with workshops and houses. Traces of mosaic floors have been uncovered as well as antique central heating systems. The subterranean city of Tridentum, which is well worth a visit, is open every day from 10.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m. Tickets cost 2 Euro. Visitors may also buy a special single ticket which is also valid for the "Castello del Buonconsiglio". “Tridentum – the subterranean city” is just the first step of a project, devised by the Autonomous Province and the Municipality of Trento, which hopes to be able, in just a few years, to open about fifteen of the town’s archaeological sites to the public. Thus offering a walk through history to discover what Trento and its inhabitants were once like.