BLERA - Archaeological route

Blera (VT)

Nature of the Territory

The Blera area lies between Tuscia and the Roman countryside, dominated by an agricultural landscape rich in pastures, olive groves, hazelnut groves, and woods, where important remains of ancient civilisations and settlements are inserted. The natural environment, of rare beauty, is marked by deep ravines carved by the rivers that crisscross the territory. In these gorges, rich in Mediterranean vegetation, layers of sedimentary rock, small waterfalls, and a remarkable variety of plant and animal species are visible, which at times give an equatorial-like landscape. The Blera area is a natural habitat for various bird species, including eagles, hawks, and owls; diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey, such as the black stork (Ciconia nigra); amphibians such as the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata pachypus), the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata), Savi's salamander, and the agile frog (Rana dalmatina); and reptiles such as the hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermannii), the four-lined tortoise (Elaphe quatuorlineata), the Austrian sage-eared snake (Coronella austriaca), and the Girondica sage-eared snake; as well as a vast orchid heritage. From the far end of the plateau of the ancient city of Petrolo, known as Petrolone, which overlooks the Biedano and Ricanale valleys, you can enjoy a picturesque landscape that epitomizes all the unique features of these places.

The Blera area lies between Tuscia and the Roman countryside, dominated by an agricultural landscape rich in pastures, olive groves, hazelnut groves, and woods, where important remains of ancient civilisations and settlements are inserted. The natural environment, of rare beauty, is marked by deep ravines carved by the rivers that crisscross the territory. In these gorges, rich in Mediterranean vegetation, layers of sedimentary rock, small waterfalls, and a remarkable variety of plant and animal species are visible, which at times give an equatorial-like landscape. The Blera area is a natural habitat for various bird species, including eagles, hawks, and owls; diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey, such as the black stork (Ciconia nigra); amphibians such as the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata pachypus), the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata), Savi's salamander, and the agile frog (Rana dalmatina); and reptiles such as the hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermannii), the four-lined tortoise (Elaphe quatuorlineata), the Austrian sage-eared snake (Coronella austriaca), and the Girondica sage-eared snake; as well as a vast orchid heritage. From the far end of the plateau of the ancient city of Petrolo, known as Petrolone, which overlooks the Biedano and Ricanale valleys, you can enjoy a picturesque landscape that epitomizes all the unique features of these places.

Panoramic point

Black Stork

Yellow-bellied toad

Spectacled Salamander

Dalmatian frog

Land tortoise

Cervone

Austrian Crown

Pian del Vescovo

The Pian del Vescovo necropolis, among the most scenic on the western slope, occupies the natural slope of the tuff cliff and is organized into various tiers of cube-shaped tombs. Circular burial mounds are located on the plateau, while the large archaic “house” shaped tomb with a ridged roof stands out on the slope. Lower down is a smaller Hellenistic tomb with an inscription near the entrance. Several peperino stone sculptures, now housed in the collections of state museums, come from Pian del Vescovo: three lions and the head of a sphinx. Some of the necropolis's Etruscan rock tombs were likely damaged to extract large blocks of tuff for the construction of the nearby Ponte della Rocca.

The Pian del Vescovo necropolis, among the most scenic on the western slope, occupies the natural slope of the tuff cliff and is organized into various tiers of cube-shaped tombs. Circular burial mounds are located on the plateau, while the large archaic “house” shaped tomb with a ridged roof stands out on the slope. Lower down is a smaller Hellenistic tomb with an inscription near the entrance. Several peperino stone sculptures, now housed in the collections of state museums, come from Pian del Vescovo: three lions and the head of a sphinx. Some of the necropolis's Etruscan rock tombs were likely damaged to extract large blocks of tuff for the construction of the nearby Ponte della Rocca.

Pian del Vescovo necropolis

Details of the tombs of Pian del Vescovo

Details of the tombs of Pian del Vescovo

Details of the tombs of Pian del Vescovo

Details of the tombs of Pian del Vescovo

Details of the tombs of Pian del Vescovo

Ponte della Rocca

The via Clodia

The imposing Ponte della Rocca, with its single arch and long ramp, marks the suburban passage of the Via Clodia, the ancient artery connecting Rome and the main cities of inland southern Etruria. For centuries, the road was at the heart of Blera's activities: from the grinding of grain in watermills, whose ruins and dams still survive, to the small churches used as places of prayer and rest for wayfarers, to the terraces used for plantations and vegetable gardens to support the population. From the bridge, the path climbs halfway up the hillside, flanked by arcosolium tombs, until reaching ancient Petrolo. Here, between the walls of the vegetable gardens built over the ruins, the remains of the Etruscan-Roman city are still visible. After crossing the wide medieval moat, you finally reach Porta Marina, the entrance to the town of Blera.

The imposing Ponte della Rocca, with its single arch and long ramp, marks the suburban passage of the Via Clodia, the ancient artery connecting Rome and the main cities of inland southern Etruria. For centuries, the road was at the heart of Blera's activities: from the grinding of grain in watermills, whose ruins and dams still survive, to the small churches used as places of prayer and rest for wayfarers, to the terraces used for plantations and vegetable gardens to support the population. From the bridge, the path climbs halfway up the hillside, flanked by arcosolium tombs, until reaching ancient Petrolo. Here, between the walls of the vegetable gardens built over the ruins, the remains of the Etruscan-Roman city are still visible. After crossing the wide medieval moat, you finally reach Porta Marina, the entrance to the town of Blera.

A stretch of the Via Clodia

Ponte della Rocca

Arcosoli along the Via Clodia

Arcosoli along the Via Clodia

Petrolo

The toponym Petrolo most likely means "place of the stones," and indeed, over the centuries, this place has been used by residents to obtain building materials from abandoned buildings. This area, still fascinating and intact, once housed the ancient settlement of Blera, which was destroyed in 772 by the Lombards of King Desiderius. The destruction was likely such that the surviving citizens gradually abandoned the area, rebuilding only part of their homes. Thus, the entire settlement of Blera experienced a period of recession and urban contraction, culminating in the period between the 11th and 12th centuries, when the entire northwestern tip of the plateau (almost a kilometer) on which the settlement stood was excluded from the urban perimeter. The final abandonment of this area occurred around the 12th century, when a deep moat was dug, which, together with Porta Marina, became a true defensive system. (wall-towers-gate), locally called "the Fortress." (Elisabetta Ferracci)

The toponym Petrolo most likely means "place of the stones," and indeed, over the centuries, this place has been used by residents to obtain building materials from abandoned buildings. This area, still fascinating and intact, once housed the ancient settlement of Blera, which was destroyed in 772 by the Lombards of King Desiderius. The destruction was likely such that the surviving citizens gradually abandoned the area, rebuilding only part of their homes. Thus, the entire settlement of Blera experienced a period of recession and urban contraction, culminating in the period between the 11th and 12th centuries, when the entire northwestern tip of the plateau (almost a kilometer) on which the settlement stood was excluded from the urban perimeter. The final abandonment of this area occurred around the 12th century, when a deep moat was dug, which, together with Porta Marina, became a true defensive system. (wall-towers-gate), locally called "the Fortress." (Elisabetta Ferracci)

Petrolo

Remains of a column

Drywall

Remains of the walls

Porta Marina

Porta Marina is a tangible symbol of Blera's thousand-year history. It is the only one of the two ancient gateways to the medieval village of Blera still perfectly preserved along the axis of Via Roma (the other, Porta Romana, has been lost). It is located at the northern end of the town's longitudinal road axis (now Via Claudia and Via Roma), which likely follows the ancient route of Via Clodia. The gate, still known as Porta da Piede in the early 19th century, took on its current form after a radical renovation in 1840, as evidenced by the date engraved on the keystone of the gate's arch. It is conceivable that this renovation was conceived to widen the entrance and thus facilitate vehicle passage. At a later date, likely already during the final decades of the 19th century, or at most in the early years of the following century, the last stretch of the Via Claudia was significantly lowered, with a significant removal of the rock bank, with the evident aim of reducing the slope and facilitating the connection with the Piagge road below.

Porta Marina is a tangible symbol of Blera's thousand-year history. It is the only one of the two ancient gateways to the medieval village of Blera still perfectly preserved along the axis of Via Roma (the other, Porta Romana, has been lost). It is located at the northern end of the town's longitudinal road axis (now Via Claudia and Via Roma), which likely follows the ancient route of Via Clodia. The gate, still known as Porta da Piede in the early 19th century, took on its current form after a radical renovation in 1840, as evidenced by the date engraved on the keystone of the gate's arch. It is conceivable that this renovation was conceived to widen the entrance and thus facilitate vehicle passage. At a later date, likely already during the final decades of the 19th century, or at most in the early years of the following century, the last stretch of the Via Claudia was significantly lowered, with a significant removal of the rock bank, with the evident aim of reducing the slope and facilitating the connection with the Piagge road below.

Porta Marina

Porta Marina

Puteale

Blera's strategic location, perched on a tuff plateau, has always made the town's water supply challenging. The construction of an aqueduct during the Etruscan-Roman period successfully brought water into the town, but because it was too deep, it was still necessary to build wells and cisterns, like the one located beneath Piazza Santa Maria. The wellhead, commissioned by Giovanni Paolo Anguillara di Ceri, was designed not only for celebratory purposes but also for the practical purpose of protecting the opening of a well. Particularly significant is the front of the wellhead, where a sculpted relief depicting a bipartite heraldic coat of arms celebrates the marriage between the patron and his wife Maddalena Orsini. The integration of familiar symbols into a work of everyday use underscores the era's desire to combine aesthetics, utility, and social representation in a single artifact.

Blera's strategic location, perched on a tuff plateau, has always made the town's water supply challenging. The construction of an aqueduct during the Etruscan-Roman period successfully brought water into the town, but because it was too deep, it was still necessary to build wells and cisterns, like the one located beneath Piazza Santa Maria. The wellhead, commissioned by Giovanni Paolo Anguillara di Ceri, was designed not only for celebratory purposes but also for the practical purpose of protecting the opening of a well. Particularly significant is the front of the wellhead, where a sculpted relief depicting a bipartite heraldic coat of arms celebrates the marriage between the patron and his wife Maddalena Orsini. The integration of familiar symbols into a work of everyday use underscores the era's desire to combine aesthetics, utility, and social representation in a single artifact.

Piazza Santa Maria with the Puteale

The marble wellhead in the garden of Palazzo Lattanzi where it was placed between 1924 and 1962.