Cisterna Romana di Amelia

The Roman cistern beneath Piazza Giacomo Matteotti in Amelia is a first-century BC reservoir of ten parallel vaulted chambers that supported the forum above.

Why it matters

The cistern reflects the development of Roman Ameria as a civic centre. It stored water for the town and provided a structural base for the forum, demonstrating how Roman engineering adapted the hilltop terrain.

What to notice

The rectangular reservoir is divided into ten interconnected chambers with concrete barrel vaults over limestone walls. Hydraulic mortar coats the floors and lower walls. In the first chamber, a section of brick flooring bears a stamp from the workshop of Caius Atilius Fortunatus, evidence of a later repair.

Context and history

The cistern was built in the first half of the first century BC as Amelia acquired Roman civic form. It collected rainwater and distributed it through wells. A drainage gallery extended toward the eastern side of the city. The reservoir remained integrated into the built fabric as medieval and later structures developed around it.