The roman town of Albintimilium, in the modern Ventimiglia on the border with France

The research conducted by the International Institute for Liguria Studies in the area of the northern walls of the Roman town which originally belonged to the Augustan IX Regio Liguria, continues the tradition begun by the great Liguria archaeologist Nino Lamboglia, who revolutionised archaeology right here, by applying the stratigraphic method to an excavation site of a classical era. The Institute’s multi-year concession given by the Ministry for Culture and Tourism through the Department of Archaeology of Liguria, has enabled acquiring new exceptional historical and topographical data concerning Albintimilium and to continue the important training school set up in Ventimiglia in 1948 by Lamboglia, which has brought up entire generations of archaeologists between these excavations and artefacts.

Investigations carried out throughout these years have enabled revealing a significant part of the walls which delimitated the ancient city to the North close to the Collasgarba slopes, and to discover a late ancient burial ground which was set up in the area after being abandoned following the first barbaric invasions.

This excavation, which is currently the only one taking place in the Roman site of Albintimilium, is one of the main Liguria archaeological realities, whose walls, roads, thermal baths, theatre, insulae and domus with mosaic floors and frescoed walls constitute one of the major testimonies of the Roman period in this region.

[Daniela Gandolfi]