Necropoli romana di Lovere

Lovere's Roman necropolis extends along the area of Via Martinoli and Via Gobetti. Its burials, dating from the first to the early fifth century AD, provide evidence for the community living at the northern end of Lake Iseo.

Why it matters

Grave goods reveal changing customs and connections with wider trade networks. The cemetery preserves a fuller picture of Roman Lovere than the limited remains of the settlement itself.

What to notice

The excavations documented walled funerary enclosures and a change from cremation to burial of the body. Finds include tableware, glass, coins and personal ornaments. Exceptional grave groups recovered in 1907 include the silverware known as the Scipio treasure, with its Fisherman's Cup, and another group of gold jewellery and precious stones.

Context and history

The burial ground developed beside a road leading out towards Valcamonica, outside the settlement in keeping with Roman practice. Its long period of use records social change over several centuries, with inhumation replacing cremation from the middle or later third century.