Roman colony of Luna. Founded in 177 BC on the bay shore at the mouth of the Magra River, after the conquest of the territory of the Ligurian Apuani by Rome, it owes its name to the goddess Selene-Luna. The proximity to the now buried port, already frequented by Greeks and Etruscans, the richness of the marble veins of the nearby Apuan Alps, and the political interests of senatorial families such as the Aemilii soon fostered the prosperity of the center, which was enriched with temples, honorary statues, and luxurious private buildings. At the end of the 4th century AD, weakened by an earthquake, the city was rebuilt using the remains of its imposing architectures. A Byzantine fortress against the barbarians, under the political and religious leadership of its bishops, it was the center of the Diocese with the Cathedral of Santa Maria, a destination for pilgrims and travelers along the Via Francigena. The silting up of the port and malaria led to its abandonment. Dante indeed mentions it among the dead cities.
The Museum opens with a section on marble statuary and portraiture, followed by one dedicated to ceramics, with a typological review, arranged chronologically, of the productions found in Luni; the numismatic section offers a wide repertoire from the Republican era through the early Middle Ages; and there is also a section devoted to jewelry and toiletry items. Transport containers, glassware, and a selection of metal objects are also displayed. The space under the Museum’s portico is dedicated to the capitolium, presenting a collection of architectural decoration elements in marble and terracotta. Upon exiting the Museum, visitors can observe the remains of the “domus of mosaics,” named precisely for its rich mosaic flooring. The residence, which underwent various construction phases, revealed notably a mosaic depicting Hercules and one with the Circus Maximus of Rome, both datable to the late 3rd – early 4th centuries AD. Beyond the domus rise the ruins of the temple dedicated to the goddess Luna. The sacred building was erected in the Republican era (to this period also belongs the terracotta decoration of the pediment dated around 150 BC) and then extensively renovated in the Imperial era. Sanctuary materials are visible in the sacred section set up in the adjacent Maurino farmhouse. Returning along the path, on one side you can see a stretch of the foundation of the city walls, the remains of the “northern domus,” and the epigraphic section; on the other, you can reach the central public area developed around the forum. The large square was originally marble-clad and bordered on the long sides by porticoes with shops. During the Imperial era, a series of public buildings of both sacred and civil nature faced it, including the capitolium, the civil basilica, and the curia, flanked by two twin squares. The visit continues with the section dedicated to private buildings, where significant space is allotted to the “domus of frescoes,” a vast residence named for the painted plaster found inside. The tour concludes with the amphitheater located outside the walls; the monument, built in the Imperial age, could host up to 7,000 people.
Information on National Archaeological Museum and Archaeological Area of Luni
Via Luni, 37
19034 Ortonovo (La Spezia)
018766811
https://www.archeoge.liguria.beniculturali.it
Source: MIBACT
