Area Archeologica di Volsinii a Poggio Moscini

The archaeological area of Volsinii at Poggio Moscini preserves the civic centre of the Roman city established above Lake Bolsena after the destruction of Etruscan Volsinii.

Why it matters

The excavated remains reveal the public and domestic life of the Roman settlement: a forum and basilica, shops and storage spaces, and richly decorated houses. The site helps explain the relocation of the population after Rome destroyed the Etruscan centre in 264 BC.

What to notice

The forum was bordered by a civil basilica and commercial rooms. Nearby remains include a covered street, a latrine and two substantial houses: the Casa del Ninfeo, organised around a water feature, and the Casa delle Pitture, known for its painted decoration and material associated with the cult of Dionysus. Some finds are preserved in the town's territorial museum.

Context and history

After Etruscan Volsinii was destroyed in 264 BC, survivors were resettled on the plateau above the lake. The Roman town developed along the Via Cassia, with civic buildings and domestic quarters added over subsequent centuries. The city declined from late antiquity, and its population moved to the hilltop settlement that became modern Bolsena. Systematic excavations began in the mid-twentieth century.