Area archeologica di Roselle

Roselle preserves the remains of an Etruscan and Roman city near Grosseto. Its walls, public buildings and houses record successive periods of settlement on two hills and the ground between them.

Why it matters

The site brings different phases of urban history into one archaeological landscape. Etruscan defences and domestic structures stand alongside Roman civic architecture and evidence of later Christian and medieval occupation.

What to notice

The extensive stone walls define the ancient city's outline. Houses, artisan structures and the building known as the edificio con recinto add evidence of Etruscan life. The Roman forum, basilica, amphitheatre, baths and mosaic-floored residences distinguish later development. A church and cemetery associated with reused bath structures show another transformation of the urban fabric.

Context and history

Organised settlement is documented from the early seventh century BC. The city overlooked ancient Lake Prile, connecting its position with coastal and inland exchange. Livy places Roman conquest in 294 BC; under Roman rule, monumental public buildings reshaped the city. Roselle later became an episcopal seat. The bishopric's transfer to Grosseto in 1138 preceded progressive decline, while archaeological excavation recovered evidence of the city's much longer history.