The excavation, carried out at a depth of about 6 to 10 meters from the street level, unearthed the remains of a rectangular fountain with inscriptions embedded in the walls bearing the name of the goddess. Anna Perenna was an ancient Roman deity of origins, celebrated on the Ides of March, the original Roman new year, as testified by Ovid in the Fasti.
The fountain appears to date from at least the 4th century BC and was used until the 6th century AD. In the cistern behind the fountain, various objects used for magical practices and religious rites were found in hardened mud: lead sheets with curses, lead containers with anthropomorphic figurines, a copper cauldron, and various coins and lamps. These and other objects are now preserved in the Epigraphic Section of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian.
The visit to the fountain is introduced by a path describing the topography of the area in Roman times, which begins near a cave at the foot of the Parioli hills and continues with the description of the remains of a Roman-era building preserved near the Auditorium.
The discovery of magical rituals practiced at Anna Perenna’s fountain, with the presence of containers hermetically sealed containing actual “voodoo dolls” inside, is completely changing the perspective and knowledge of the relationship of the ancients with the magical-religious sphere.
The presence of professional witches at the fountain in Piazza Euclide provides a new perspective on the relationship between humans and ancient religiosity.
