A sanctuary from the Hellenistic-Roman era rich in votive material, found in the territory of the municipality of Ponte, in the province of Benevento, evidence of a cult and rituals that marked the most important moments in the lives of the individuals who lived in the area.
This was presented today in the Paleontological Hall of the Benevento Operations Centre of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento, during the inauguration of the temporary archaeological exhibition 'Journey into the Sacred.
The discovery of the sanctuary of Ponte along the new AV/AC line Naples-Bari'. The exhibition, curated by the Superintendency of Benevento, concerns the finds brought to light during the works for the doubling of the Telese-Vitulano section.
With the construction of the new Naples-Bari AV/AC line, in fact, the FS Group is giving citizens back an unprecedented cultural heritage, in a dialogue between progress and historical roots that shows how the construction sites of large railway infrastructure works can be transformed into a window onto the past.
The sanctuary discovered in Ponte, with its architectural complexity and the wealth of votive material found, seems to be dedicated to deities connected to the sphere of healing (sanatio), fertility of the land and animals and/or motherhood. Its discovery has offered a new historical interpretation of the cultural customs of the region, before and during the Romanization of Sannio.
Among the exhibits on display, in the presence of representatives of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and Italferr (FS Group) and of the Superintendencies of Caserta and Benevento and of the Naples Metropolitan Area, are depictions of divinities linked to initiatory rites, statuettes depicting young devout women and male figures of warriors.
Also present are a model of a terracotta temple intended to accommodate offerings, votive material referring to anatomical parts, ceramic finds and coins. "It is the first exhibition that we inaugurate to return to fruition the history that the territories of this new line tell us" said Mariano Nuzzo, Superintendent of Naples Metropolitan Area and for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento.
“We also thought of a very young audience with panels dedicated to them: the construction works of recent infrastructures that look to the future become an opportunity for new historical discoveries that enrich the knowledge and consolidate the culture of the new generations.
We will organize other informative moments, a job to be done thanks to the cooperation between Institutions, with the other Superintendencies and with the FS Group, always with the important collaboration with the Ministry of Culture”.
The memorandum of understanding between RFI and the Superintendencies of Caserta and Benevento and of the Naples Metropolitan Area was also signed, with the aim of defining a common strategy for the valorization and promotion of the findings related to the Naples-Bari itinerary.
The agreed activities include further stages to return knowledge of the discoveries made to the territories: a permanent exhibition on the Roman villa of Solopaca will also be created in the spaces of the Benevento Operations Centre; the Archaeological Museum of Calatia - Maddaloni will instead host the installation of a burial attributable to the Campania culture and found on the Cancello-Frasso Telesino route; finally, in Ponte, some wall structures pertaining to the Hellenistic-Roman sanctuary brought to light in this area will be reassembled.
The installation of information panels is also planned to be placed at the new stations of Acerra, Valle di Maddaloni, Ponte-Casalduni and Solopaca.
The commitment of the FS Group and its Companies continues with the activities of Archeolog, the Group's Third Sector Body that brings together Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Italferr and Anas. Archeolog, in synergy with the Superintendencies of the Ministry of Culture, aims to contribute to the restoration, conservation and valorization of the precious archaeological finds that came to light during the construction and maintenance of Italian road and railway infrastructures. Archeolog has decided to commit to the restoration of a statuette of Hercules in metal alloy, dating back to the 2nd century BC and found in the area of the sanctuary of Ponte. This mythological figure appears in the Samnite context in connection with the agricultural-pastoral world, as a protective deity of flocks and springs, dedicated to ensuring trade and pacts.
Article published on 28 February 2025 - 15:26
