In the 2nd century BC, the sacred area underwent a large-scale renovation related to the Roman presence in the territory, and it remained active until the first half of the 1st century AD. The numerous inscriptions found there, written in the Oscan language, document a strong identity link of the Lucanian community.
The sacred complex consists of a forecourt, a large area paved with large irregular limestone slabs, in the center of which is the so-called “altar.” Around the forecourt, there are a series of rooms bearing traces of Roman-era renovations and monumentalization.
Central is the role of water, an element associated with the Lucanian deity, symbolizing purification, fertility, and abundance; in the forecourt, the drainage channel for spring waters that were captured and led to the sacred area is preserved. The Roman hydraulic works for the drainage of water characterizing some of the rooms outside the forecourt are also significant.
Recent investigations conducted by the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Basilicata have allowed better knowledge of the Lucanian phase of use with the discovery of a large wall that bordered the sacred area towards the valley, which was obliterated in one of the following phases of monumentalization and renovation of the sacred area due to the ongoing landslide phenomena that have affected the area since ancient times.
Information about the Archaeological Area of Rossano di Vaglio
85010 Vaglio Basilicata (Potenza)
347 2736594
388 1925513
Source: MIBACT
