Upon its discovery in the 1950s, this site was initially believed to be the villa of the Roman poet Ovid, Sulmo’s most famous native. However, dedicatory inscriptions and votive material revealed a vast religious complex. Initially constructed by the local Peligni people, the site was built on a complex multi-leveled terracing system, like the more famous temples of Fortuna in Palestrina and Hercules in Tivoli. These radical architectural changes occurred after the Social War in 89 BC. The temple survived until the early Christian age despite a destructive landslide during…
