Evidence of Roman occupation in the local area

Roman History

The stone remains to this day and is found just a few hundred metres or so on the mountain side below Mortale. It provides us with the best evidence of Roman occupation in the locality. Although the road, which once connected Atina with Mount Attico, no longer exists, there are still visible tracks worn into flat stones showing clearly that carts would have travelled along this Roman route.

Although in Roman times, the current municipality of
Casalattico did not exist, the area was definitely frequented
by the Empire.    This is proven by examples such as the
bridge and the Roman road that links the current Casalattico
to the other side of the River Melfa.
 

In the 1st century BC, during the Roman Empire, the territory
of Casalattico was given to Titus Pomponius Atticus
(109 BC - 32 BC), a famous financier, editor and close friend
of the orator and philosopher, Marcus Tullius Cicero.   It is this Pomponius Atticus who gave his name to Monte Attico and Casale Attici, which later became Montattico and Casalattico.  


Of greater significance, however, is la pietra scritta, an engraved rock with an inscription that speaks of the completion of a road for carts at the behest of Caius Pomponius Tigranus, freedman of Caius Pomponius, who built the road for 500,450 sestertii at his expense and without the help of anyone else.  Given that a sestertius could buy two loaves of bread a the time, this figure would represent approximately a million pounds at today's prices.  Quite a cheap road!

© 2010 Paul Forte

Roman Bridge near Casalattico

Pictures and Translation of Roman Stone below Mortale

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