Amiternum Archaeological Site

Amiternum is the site of an ancient Sabine and later Roman town located in present-day Abruzzo, Italy, with visible archaeological remains from the Roman period. The settlement developed into a municipium under Roman rule and retains structural traces of civic and funerary architecture.

Excavations have revealed a forum area, an amphitheatre and necropolis sectors, with masonry foundations and funerary inscriptions that document the town’s layout and use during the Roman era. The site illustrates urban planning and local Roman-period institutions rather than monumental imperial architecture.

Amiternum originated as a Sabine settlement and was integrated into the Roman system during the republican and imperial periods; over subsequent centuries the site declined and was partially abandoned as populations shifted to new medieval settlements. Archaeological work in the 20th and 21st centuries has exposed sections of the town for study and visitation.

The ruins lie in the hills north of the modern city of L’Aquila, near the village of San Vittorino in the Abruzzo region, set in a rural landscape of rolling hills and agricultural land.

• Location and access: The archaeological site lies near the modern village of San Vittorino in Abruzzo and is commonly visited from L’Aquila for its Roman remains.

What to See#

• Forum and civic remains: The excavated forum area and civic remains of the Roman town, showing foundations and layout used for municipal functions in antiquity.
• Amphitheatre: A Roman amphitheatre whose surviving masonry and outline are visible at the site, used for public spectacles in the Roman period.
• Necropolis areas: Necropolis sectors with funerary inscriptions and tomb structures discovered around the ancient town’s approaches.

Amiternum is reached by road from L’Aquila (roughly 10-20 minutes by car depending on the exact starting point). Drive on the SP5/SP17 regional roads; there is limited signage from the main highways. Public transport is sparse - the nearest regular bus services run to L’Aquila from surrounding towns, so hiring a car or taxi from L’Aquila is the most reliable option.

• Wear sturdy shoes and a hat - the exposed Roman masonry can be hot and crumbly in summer.
• Combine a visit with L'Aquila or the nearby town of San Vittorino to place Amiternum in its modern geography.
• Look for the shape of the ancient road grid in the fields; much of the site survives as buried foundations rather than full walls.