At the foot of the Tuvixeddu hill lies one of the few remaining evidences of the Roman-era necropolis, consisting of monumental tombs carved and variously shaped in the rock..
This is the mausoleum, dating back to the late 1st-early 2nd century AD, which houses the remains of the Roman noblewoman Atilia Pomptilla and her husband Lucius Cassius Philippus, condemned to exile in Sardinia, and dedicated by the latter to the memory of his wife who, according to legend, died in place of her husband after fervently praying for his recovery.
The facade replicates that of a small Ionic-style temple. On the architrave, two reptiles are depicted, from which the monument’s name derives, symbolizing the lineage of Lucius Cassius Philippus. The mausoleum’s interior, carved into limestone, is divided into three areas: a vestibule and two funerary chambers. The walls are rich in inscriptions in Latin and Greek, mostly in verse.
Information about Tomb “Vipera’s Grotto”
Viale Sant’Avendrace, 87
09100 Cagliari (Cagliari)
0704560956
Info@anamnesys.it
https://www.comune.cagliari.it
Source: MIBACT
