Ornata sepulcra

Abstract

The monument, found during a residential building intervention in Padua, was part of a vast necropolis located along the Via Annia, east of the city. In 2018, a restoration was carried out on the cylindrical altar with relief decorations and on the base with inscription. The operation made it possible to read its surface and reveal its technical details. Elements have been highlighted that bring to the hand of the artist who created the exceptional monument, a unicum in Padua. The understanding of technical details has confirmed the chronology of the artefact which dates back to the second half of the 1st century AD. Macaw and base recomposed in the original form are now exhibited at the Musei Civici agli Eremitani in Padua.