Area Archeologica La Fenice

Why it matters

The La Fenice archaeological area in Senigallia preserves part of the Roman city of Sena beneath the modern street level. Discovered in 1989 during foundation work for the Teatro La Fenice, it includes streets, shops and a patrician house that reveal aspects of daily life in the ancient town.

What to notice

The excavation shows the crossing of a north–south cardo with an east–west decumanus. Stone paving retains wheel ruts, and remains of tabernae include a thermopolium. A large domus has cocciopesto floors with white tesserae and an atrium with a herringbone-brick impluvium. The site also preserves evidence of post-Roman burials, including a grave left visible as part of the archaeological presentation.

Context and history

Roman Sena developed on the Adriatic coast at the mouth of the Misa. The excavated residential and commercial area dates mainly to the second and third centuries AD. The 1989 discovery led to systematic excavation and conservation of the remains. The Teatro La Fenice archive preserves posters and letters documenting the theatre's earlier history.