Via San Basilio 12 - 45012 Ariano nel Polesine (RO)
Tel. 0426 71200 - 0426 372330 - Fax 0426 372095
Web site http://www.smppolesine.it/sbasilio/pagine/home.php
Summary
The archaeological area attached to the Centre “Centro Turistico Culturale San Basilio” conserves some remains of the ancient settlement in the area, and particularly the evidences of a big architectural compound of early Christian times. The compound included a church, an octagon baptistery and a small necropolis with “cappuccina” tombs.
History of research
The first discoveries in the Forzello estate at the locality “San Basilio” near Ariano Polesine date back to 1980, whereas the excavations have been carried out at various times since 1983. With the objective of arranging the archaeological area which can be visited today, further excavations have been undertaken by the General Direction for Archaeological Heritage in the Veneto region between 2005 and 2007.
Urban and geographical context
The village of “Ariano nel Polesine” is located about 40 km from Rovigo on the island of Ariano, a territory of the Po Delta included between the Po river branches “Po di Goro” and “Po di Venezia”.
Late antiquity necropolis and religious buildings at the “Centro Turistico Culturale San Basilio”
In the last decades the area at “San Basilio” has allowed to recover a relevant amount of archaeological artefacts from the early settlements in this territory. The artefacts date back to the archaic times (VI-V century B.C.), when this territory was frequented by Etruscans, Greeks and people of the Veneto culture and when it was a flourishing trades centre in the whole east-central Mediterranean and in Etruria. In Roman times (II century B.C.) the construction of an important consular road, the “via Popillia”, which started in Rimini and headed up to Adria, brought a new vitality in this territory. The so-called “mansio Hadriani” was built here, a staging post that has been largely documented through the excavations in the Eighties and whose remains are exhibited today at the Centre “Centro Turistico Culturale San Basilio”. At the end of the Roman Empire this place became one of the most ancient centres for Christian religion in the province of Rovigo, as it has been discovered through the most recent excavations. The remains which are conserved today in the archaeological area of San Basilio belong to this religious centre, and particularly include a necropolis with “cappuccina” tombs (or “tile tent” tombs, covered with overlapping tiles forming a tent-like structure) and the early Christian compound with octagonal baptistery.
Visiting
Admission: Negli orari di apertura; Visitability: Esterno e Interno; Ticket: No;
School access
Disabled access
TipologyWhenSpecs
Daylight saving timeFriday9.00-12.30
Daylight saving timeSaturday10.00-12.00, 15.30-19.30
Daylight saving timeSunday10.00-12.00, 15.30-19.30
Daylight saving timeThursday9.00-12.30
Normal timeSaturday10.00-12.00, 15.00-17.30
Normal timeSunday10.00-12.00, 15.00-17.30
Open all festivities except S. Stephen (26 December). 15 August: 15.30-19.30.

Recommended tour time (minutes): 40
Services for visitors
Toilet
Parking
Bookshop
Rest points
Educational Services
Guide a stampa Brochure
The guide-book is under re-printing
Information boards
Multilingual ads: Inglese
Brochure and panels in Slovenian
Guided Tours
Educational activities
Library and documentation centre
Other activities
Projections room (30 people) and conference room (100 people)
Bibliography
De Min M. 1986, L’abitato arcaico di San Basilio di Ariano Polesine, in L'Antico Polesine, pp. 171-184.
Salzani L., Vitali D. 1988, L'abitato arcaico di San Basilio di Ariano Polesine, in Quaderni di Archeologia del Veneto, IV, pp. 37-40.
Bonetto J. 2009, Veneto (Archeologia delle Regioni d'Italia), Roma, pp. 389.