Published: Friday, 02 February 2024 – events editorial staff
FRASCATI (events) – The first results come from the speleological revisiting of the accumulation works, already surveyed at the end of the 70s of the last century by Luigi Devoti
ilmamilio.it
The “Frascati Underground” project, conducted by the Egeria Underground Research Center of Rome, coordinated by a girl from Frascati Alessia Cirioni, obtained the patronage of the Municipality and was presented to the public last January 13th in the Sala degli Specchi, in the presence of the authorities municipal officials, representatives of numerous cultural associations in the area and many interested citizens.
The first results come from the speleological revisiting of the accumulation works, already surveyed at the end of the 70s of the last century by Luigi Devoti, a profound connoisseur of the Castellano area and described in the precious work “The cisterns of the Roman period in the Tuscola area”. Work reprinted by the “Amici di Frascati” association and presented to the public on Saturday 27 January in the Palazzo Duca di York in a participatory conference conducted by Professor Massimiliano Valenti.
Of the over one hundred and eighty cisterns described by the historian and writer Luigi Devoti, forty-four fall in the area examined by the study which involves, in addition to the urban and extra-urban territory of Frascati, also the area between Frascati, Grottaferrata, Monte Porzio and Montecompatri. Other ancient hydraulic structures are described in other bibliographical sources taken into consideration by the study group which has currently managed to identify and document twenty-five environments for the accumulation of drinking water (tanks) or rainwater (cisterns).
The situation is not rosy: except in rare cases, the revisited structures are filled with earth or water, often covered in vegetation. Of some, only modest portions of masonry works are now preserved, of others the pre-existence of others can be assumed because innumerable beds ( truncated pyramidal stone blocks placed with the base exposed and arranged at an inclination of 45 degrees) which made up the reticulated work. But this does not diminish the excitement of the speleologists who are dedicating themselves to the research.
Unfortunately, the presence of wildlife, particularly wild boars that dig the ground in search of food, is also causing further damage.
The first phase of revisiting all the structures will be followed by a comparison between the new topographic data acquired and the graphic works published at the time, both in the cited volume and in equally important bibliographic sources, to verify what remains of such beauty.
The study campaign, conducted by the “Egeria CRS” Association which more than any other has studied the artificial underground works of the Alban Hills, also involves other hydraulics experts from the ancient world and underwater speleologists belonging to the speleological associations of the Hypogea Federation, known for study and attempt to valorise the Albano emissary.
2024-02-02 19:49:56
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