The small Funerary Basilica

Discovered during the restoration of the Delli Ponti Palace, the small Basilica witnesses the presence of a very active Christian community since the early Christian phase. In the small liturgical hall there is the apse that lets us see at least two phases of the mural, the base of the altar (obtained through the re-use of the drum of the column) and part of the flooring.

The religious building seems to have been abandoned and destroyed between the XIII and the XIV centuries. It can be described as a functional room and it seems connected to the necropolis that were found in the area, which are located underground and are dated back to the early Christian and medieval age. Alongside the descent, in fact, the archaeological studies have highlighted the presence of different necropolis areas among which the most interesting one is certainly the underground sepulchre of the Delli Ponti Palace, which gave us back ten arcosolium graves and eight pit graves dated back to the 5^th century after Christ.

At the moment, it’s not possible to find out to whom this small and interesting Christian place of worship is dedicated since there are no archaeological data and it can’t be identified with absolute certainty as one of the basilicas mentioned in the curial lists or in the documentation about possible pastoral visits.