Domus del Rasoio

Beneath Imola’s former convent of San Domenico, the Domus del Rasoio preserves the remains of a Roman house and later phases of the site’s history. Restored floor mosaics and a razor with a panther-head handle are among its notable finds; the object gives the domus its modern name.

Why it matters

The archaeological section presents successive uses of the same site. A Roman domus was followed centuries later by the Dominican convent, a bell-casting workshop and the convent refectory. Together, the remains connect the Roman city of Forum Cornelii with the later religious and civic history of Imola.

What to notice

The floor mosaics preserve the decoration of the Roman house. Other finds include a bronze figure of a Lar, a household deity. The razor with a panther-head handle is the object associated with the site’s name. Above the Roman levels, remains of the convent phases record the changing use of the complex.

Context and history

The domus lies beneath the former convent of Santi Nicolò e Domenico. Dominican friars settled on the site in the thirteenth century, and the complex later included two cloisters dating to the fifteenth century. The archaeological presentation brings together the Roman house, later convent structures, bell-casting activity and refectory remains. It forms part of the Museo di San Domenico in Imola.