Area archeologica Madonna della Cona

Madonna della Cona preserves an extensive funerary landscape on the western side of Teramo. Italic tombs and Roman mausolea record changing burial customs in the territory around ancient Interamnia.

Why it matters

The site links the pre-Roman communities of the area with the Roman town and its surrounding roads. Its successive burial forms reveal changes in social display, ritual and the treatment of the dead over many centuries.

What to notice

Circular stone monuments with central graves characterise the Italic burial areas. Roman mausolea with square bases and travertine facing stand along an ancient road. Inscribed stones associated with Sextus Histimennius preserve the name of one commemorated individual, while a recovered togatus statue adds evidence of Roman funerary representation.

Context and history

The area was identified in 1961 near Santa Maria della Cona, with extensive excavation beginning in 2000. Archaeology revealed phases of inhumation and cremation, followed by later tile-covered burials. The Roman roadside necropolis is associated with a branch of the Via Caecilia, connecting local commemoration with the communications network beyond Teramo.