For the first time, hidden imperial Roman spice vaults is now open to public

For the first time, the Horrea Piperataria, the ancient spice warehouses of the emperors, was opened to the public. Built during the reign of Emperor Domitian in the 1st century CE, these monumental warehouses were intended to store spices arriving from Egypt, Arabia, and India, including pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and incense used in temple ceremonies.

Located on the southwest slopes of the Velia hill, between the Esquiline and Palatine hills, the Horrea Piperataria remained hidden for centuries beneath the ruins of the Basilica of Maxentius. Their discovery and subsequent excavation were part of a collaborative project between the Department of Ancient Sciences of Sapienza University and the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, which began in 2019, according to Artribune.

"It is an important day because we are returning to visitors a sector of ancient Rome that is particularly significant. We are all excited," said Alfonsina Russo, director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, as reported by ANSA.

Visitors can now walk along a new path that has been created on the ancient alley of the Carinae, which has been completely renovated and is accessible to people with disabilities. The path includes a suspended glass walkway that overlaps the archaeological excavation, allowing a clear and complete understanding of the site. Multimedia immersive projections contribute to the interpretation of the excavations, offering insights into the transformations of the place through the centuries.

Starting December 21, visitors can join guided tours lasting a total of 75 minutes with groups of ten people. The tour includes 30 minutes in the excavation and 45 minutes attending the multimedia projection, which features immersive presentations about the archaeological structures.

The Horrea Piperataria have retained their original three-tiered elevation, consisting of uncovered courtyards with functional basins and drainage wells. The floors are in opus spicatum, a specific type of brickwork. The complex developed on multiple levels, indicated by the systems of stairs. A central basin lined with travertine blocks and a courtyard surrounded by shops are among the architectural features that have been uncovered, according to Il Messaggero.

The excavation clarified the planimetric articulation of the warehouses, the accesses and pathways, the construction phases, and the transformation of the structure, according to ANSA. The project was led by a team from Sapienza University under the guidance of Associate Professor of Classical Archaeology, Domenico Palombi. "A team of ten PhD students and thirty students per year worked on it for a total of 150 students. An extraordinary group, extremely prepared, which was articulated in a wide structure, from stratigraphy to graphic documentation," Palombi stated.

Among the testimonies related to the site is a valuable account by Galen of Pergamon, the most famous Greek physician of antiquity. Galen rented a space in the Horrea Piperataria to store books and pharmaceutical preparations, opening his shop there in the mid-2nd century CE to utilize medicinal herbs. According to a Renaissance manuscript discovered in 2005 in a monastery in Thessaloniki, Galen wrote that "the Horrea are the safest place in Rome: the structure is fireproof and always controlled by the imperial guard".

The warehouses were destroyed during the Commodus fire in 192 CE, which engulfed the entire Roman Forum district.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq