Description
With texts by Paolo Berbenni, Annamaria Carini, Stephen Clews, Cesarina Gregotti, Vinceslas Kruta, Luigi Malnati, Giuseppe Marchetti, Monica Miari, Filli Rossi, John Scheid.
The edition of the Proceedings of the Conference held in Travo in 2006 represents for the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Emilia-Romagna an important opportunity to take stock of one of the most compelling issues of Piacenza archeology: the sanctuary of Minerva Medica. For a long time, historians and archaeologists have concentrated the attention of historians and archaeologists on this sanctuary, and on the cult that was practiced there with oracular and health-giving values, the former to investigate its origins and religious characteristics, the latter to identify its vestiges. Only a relatively large series of inscriptions revealed the existence of the sanctuary of Minerva Cabardiacensis, but none of these have been found in place, even if all the clues lead to the current center of Travo. It will therefore be the task of archeology and modern investigation criteria to try to resolve the question in the near future. Among the reports presented at the conference, many illustrated the research in progress in the area, both from the geological point of view and ancient natural resources, and from that of the possible health benefits of the springs available in the area, and the recovery of all the known archaeological data, including the most recent and still unpublished research. Other reports have framed the sanctuary of Minerva di Travo within the framework of the religious testimonies of the area, recovering in particular the almost certain pre-Roman origins of the cult that lead to the dual Celtic and Ligurian roots of the Piacenza Apennines. Special thanks go to the Archaeological Group of Travo for the splendid collaboration and for the many worthy initiatives that it is able to promote and manage in the Piacenza area and in the Province of Piacenza.
Profile of the volume edited by Carla Conti
Copyright © 2008 Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Emilia Romagna. All rights reserved.
Publication by the 'La Minerva' Cultural Research Group - Travo (PC)
In collaboration with SAMI, Società degli Archeologi Medievisti Italiani
