Como
| Site | |
|---|---|
| Alternative Names: | Comm |
| Ancient Name: | Comum |
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| Postal Code: | I-22100 |
| Province: | Como |
| Region: | Lombardia |
| Country: | Italy |
| Coordinates: | 45° 48' 43.16" N, 9° 5' 8.03" E |
| Website: | search for "Como" on it.wikipedia.org |
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| Field names: | Pianvalle |
| Objects: | CO·66 Como (bottle), CO·67 Como (unidentifiable), CO·68 Como (unidentifiable) |
| Museums: | Museo Archeologico ‟Paolo Giovio” (Como) |
| Incorporated Sites: | Breccia, Civiglio, Prestino, Rondineto |
Map
Find sites of inscriptions in the proto-urban conglomerate of Golaseccan Como
Commentary
The pre-Roman settlement Como was not situated on the lake shore, where the centre of the modern city lies, but on the terraced south-western slopes of Monte Croce, in what is today Breccia and Prestino (fractions of Como) and San Fermo della Battaglia. The first, unsystematic excavations were made at Rondineto (Breccia) in the 1870s. Urban expansion in the 1950s destroyed a lot of the archaeological remains, but led to sporadic finds (see e.g. CO·48, CO·25, CO·29 in Prestino, CO·68 on Monte Sant'Eutichio, CO·71 in San Fermo della Battaglia); from the 1970s onward, systematic excavation campaigns were conducted e.g. at Pianvalle, in Via Rigamonti (San Fermo della Battaglia), Via Isonzo-La Pesa (Prestino), and Via Mantegna (Prestino) (these being the ones with published inscription finds).
In the earliest phase (Golasecca I), separate small settlements e.g. at Rondineto, Prestino and Leno can be identified. After a slow growth during Golasecca II (6th c. BC), the settlement reached its maximal expansion during G III A (second quarter of 5th to early 4th c. BC); the development can be credited to the shift of the main Etruscan transalpine trade link from the Ticino/Lago Maggiore route via Castelletto sopra Ticino to the Pedemontana route from Forcello via Brescia, Bergamo and Lago di Como. Bordered by various necropoleis in the plain, the 5th c. settlement may have encompassed ca. 150 hectare. The archaeological findings include buildings built into rock and from drywall, enclosures, stairs, wells, hearths, systems of drainage canals, and possible cult sites (Fondo Giulini, Via Mantegna, and also the rock drawings e.g. at Pianvalle). It appears that the northern area, where the oldest settlements lie (San Fermo della Battaglia, Leno, Rondineto), was an upper-class dwelling area, while the expansion areas to the south housed more workshops (especially for metalwork). Following the disruption of the Etruscan trade through the Gaulish "invasions" in the early 4th c. BC, the settlement area was reduced, but not completely abandoned, as evidenced by sporadic finds from La Tène B and C2; a continuity is visible particularly in the old core around Rondineto and Prestino. A certain revitalisation during the late Iron age (La Tène C2/D), which finds expression in more finds, e.g. of tombs in previously settled areas as at Casate (Breccia), can be connected with the conquest of the city by Marcus Claudius Marcellus in 196 BC (Livy 33.36–37) and consequent influx of Roman settlers. After the city was sacked by Raetians in 89 BC (according to Strabo V 1.6), it was initially rebuilt on site under Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, but re-founded as Novum Comum north of Monte Croce by the lake, after drainage of the swampy area, under Caesar in 59 BC.
For surveys of the archaeological evidence see De Marinis 1986c and Casini et al. 2001; an archaeological map of finds up to the early 1970s is provided by Luraschi et al. 1969 and 1973. On the necropolis of Ca' Morta Rittatore Vonwiller 1965, De Marinis & Premoli Silva 1969, Saronio 1969. On the epigraphy and linguistic situation of the region Como in pre-Roman time Tibiletti Bruno 1989. For details on and references for the individual find spots which have yielded inscriptions, see the respective pages.
