Funeral Area Outside Porta Decumana

A walk on the historic horizon unveiled by excavations

When is it open: on the 1st Wednesday of each month from 14.00 to 18.00

What's not to be missed: the ruins of the Early Christian Church

Where is it: in the centre of Aosta

Why?...Because it's worth it: you will enjoy your visit to this almost unknown area

This is an important necropolis from Roman times, about 200 metres from Porta Decumana; a discovery similar to that of other necropolisesnear Porta Praetoria and Porta Principalis Sinistra, all gateways to Augusta Praetoria (Aosta). The necropolis was used for some time, both during the Roman Age and the Early Christian period: it was fairly normal to have Pagan and Christian graves side by side and the religious rites of the deceased were very similar.

The area hosts 3 mausoleums, with rectangular halls (known as the cellae memoriae) and an Early Christian basilica, which dates from the end of the IV century to the entire V century. The latter shows a strong resemblance to similar Christian buildings located on Roman necropolises located outside the walls, such as the Church of San Lorenzo and the Church of Santo Stefano. The site was used for a long period of time, up to around the end of the first millennium, when the building was gradually abandoned.

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