Parco degli Scipioni, Municipal park in Celio district, Rome, Italy
Parco degli Scipioni is a roughly 1.6 hectare park in the Celio district between Via Appia and Via Latina. The site contains several ancient tombs and a columbarium scattered throughout tree-lined paths and open spaces.
The site served as a Roman burial ground with the Scipione family interred there from around 280 BC. A large columbarium was later built in the first century to hold cremated remains for many families.
The park holds remains of Roman burial structures that show how wealthy families honored their dead. These graves reveal the burial customs and respect for the deceased that were important in Roman society.
The park sits outside the Aurelian wall near the San Giovanni in Oleo oratory. Morning visits work well since low sunlight makes the archaeological remains easier to see and understand.
The Scipione family tomb was discovered twice: once in antiquity and again in 1780 when the Sassi brothers stumbled upon it while excavating their wine cellar. This accidental rediscovery prompted systematic archaeological investigation of the entire site.
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