You cannot leave Aosta without having seen this underground jewel, capable of making you imagine the powerful monumentality of what is still called today the “Rome of the Alps”. One of the most fascinating Roman monuments in the city, the Forensic Cryptoporticus.
Visiting the Forensic Cryptoporticus means immersing yourself in a unique atmosphere, walking in the Underground galleries illuminated by soft light, between arches and travertine pillars, coming into direct contact with the Roman history of Augusta Praetoria.
An unusual, rare and precious name, born from the fusion of the Greek criptòs and the Latin porticus: a hidden portico, a treasure of the Augustan age not recognizable from the outside, but incredibly grandiose once inside.
A fundamental space in which administrative and commercial functions were combined with the sacred one, represented here by the main temples of the colony, the hub of the imperial cult.
Visiting the cryptoporticus means descend into the heart of the Roman city; walking through its underground galleries, marked by the regular succession of light travertine arches, means immersing yourself in a sort of parallel world, enveloped in a muffled atmosphere in which past and present merge.
The Cryptoporticus represents first and foremost a valid structural element useful for the creation and containment of the Sacred Terrace.
Furthermore, the system of tunnels could be used as a covered promenade and, on special occasions, could be used for solemn processions around the city’s main temples.
This system of semi-underground tunnels, dating back to the time of the city’s foundation, is articulated in an inverted U shape that frames the sacred area of the forum on three sides.
The internal space is characterised by two parallel galleries supported in the centre by pillars in local limestone, connected by arches and closed by barrel vaults.
The perimeter walls are made of broken and plastered pebbles, while the definition of the floor is uncertain, no longer legible due to the prolonged reuse of the spaces as warehouses during the Middle Ages and the division into cellars until the early twentieth century.
The Galleries, arranged on two levels, extend for a total length of about 80 meters and are illuminated by splayed windows that guarantee natural light and air exchange, maintaining a constant internal temperature throughout the year
An explanatory video reconstructs the phases of its construction and the historical context, making the visit even more engaging.
The cryptoporticus can be visited all year round with a cumulative ticket “Aosta Archeologica” which also includes the Regional Archaeological Museum and the early Christian Church of San Lorenzo.
Access to the cryptoporticus is not accessible to the disabled
Criptoportico Forense
Piazza Giovanni XXIII
Aosta
Val d’Aosta – Italy
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