Area archeologica di Tres Tabernae

Tres Tabernae was a Roman road station on the Via Appia near modern Cisterna di Latina, where excavations have exposed streets, buildings and mosaics.

Why it matters

The site connects Roman travel infrastructure with the early history of Christianity. The Acts of the Apostles mentions the Three Taverns as a place where Christians met Paul on his journey to Rome; the location is also associated with an early bishopric.

What to notice

A stretch of limestone-paved road with raised sidewalks remains visible. Excavations have revealed a dwelling with bathing rooms, a well and cistern, mosaic floors, and structures with imported marble decoration.

Context and history

The settlement developed near a junction of the Via Appia and the Via Ninfina from around the mid-first century CE. It continued into the early medieval period, when the bishopric moved to Terracina or nearby centres as the settlement declined. The site was identified through archaeological investigations beginning in the 1990s.