Compsa, Archaeological site of a Roman city in Conza della Campania, Italy

Compsa is an archaeological site of a Roman city located beneath and around the modern town of Conza della Campania, in the Campania region of southern Italy. Excavations have uncovered remains of a forum, an amphitheater, baths, and other structures built across several centuries.

Compsa was first a city of the Hirpini, a Samnite people, before coming under Roman control in the 3rd century BC. In the Middle Ages it became an Episcopal seat, though repeated invasions and earthquakes shaped its later history.

The name Compsa has no documented Oscan etymology in the sources; it is recorded as a city of the Hirpini, one of the four Samnite tribes. Visitors can see a Roman marble funerary altar near the cathedral, carved with two eagles with spread wings and garlands, whose inscription names Decimus Petronius Niger and Caecilia Quintiana.

Because much of the site lies beneath the modern town, visits require prior arrangement with local authorities in Conza della Campania. A guide is strongly recommended, since many remains are hard to read without context.

The 1980 earthquake that destroyed the modern town also uncovered large sections of the ancient layers beneath it, turning a disaster into an unexpected opening for archaeology. A small museum was later set up inside the park to display mosaics and grave inscriptions found during subsequent excavations.