Fonte di Anna Perenna, Archaeological site in Parioli district, Rome, Italy.
Fonte di Anna Perenna is an underground Roman archaeological site in the Parioli district containing remains of a sacred spring sanctuary. The rectangular structure sits 6 to 10 meters beneath the current street level and preserves inscriptions and relics embedded within its walls from ancient times.
The sanctuary began in the 1st century BC and served as a religious site for over five centuries until its abandonment in the 6th century AD. Its rediscovery during 1999 parking lot construction revealed how the site had been continuously used across different periods of Roman history.
The fountain was dedicated to Anna Perenna, a goddess linked to yearly cycles and renewal. Visitors today can sense the spiritual importance Romans placed here through the remnants of rituals and ceremonial practices left behind.
The site is not publicly accessible as it remains buried beneath a modern street. The main discoveries from the sanctuary are displayed at the National Roman Museum, where visitors can view lead tablets and other ritual objects from the collection.
The dried mud inside the underground cistern preserved an exceptional collection of ritual objects including lead containers with figurines and curse tablets. These conserved remains offer a rare glimpse into private magical practices that Roman visitors performed at the site.
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