"La Cuma" Archaeological Area of Monte Rinaldo

Monte Rinaldo

In the municipality of Monte Rinaldo, in the middle of Valle dell'Aso, there is the "La Cuma" archaeological area, which houses the remains of one of the most important late-Republic sanctuaries in the Marche region. The structures that characterize the sanctuary, found during the excavations carried out in the 50s and 60s, are related to a temple of which only the foundations remain, these being a long portico composed of a rear wall in sandstone blocks with two parallel rows of columns, a hall in the west side of the portico opening to the east, and a well. Originally the sanctuary, evidently inspired by Hellenistic models, was developed on terraces, while the portico, which is at the highest point, acted as a scenic background to the entire architectural complex. Unfortunately, the god to which this was dedicated is still unknown: the presence of the well and some canalizations, added to the fact that the sanctuary rises between two rivers, suggests that it was a divinity somehow linked to water and its use in purification rites. Even the city that depended on the complex has never been identified; what is certain is that its construction was promoted by Rome within the process of Romanization of the Picene territory and was perhaps sponsored by local elites, an element of great importance in understanding the dynamics of the Romanization of the Picene. The sanctuary was soon abandoned following landslides and seismic phenomena and in the area a rustic villa was built that remained in use until late Antiquity and whose remains are still partly visible.