Roman milestone found in Codigoro. It will now become part of the Pomposian Museum

An archaeological discovery of great significance in Codigoro, in the locality of Pontemaodino, where a Roman milestone dating back to the second century BC has been found. This milestone, used in ancient times as a “road sign,” provided travelers with information about the route and distance to major urban centers, often also bearing the name of the person who had built or maintained that stretch of road.

The milestone, made of trachyte from the Euganean Hills, is cylindrical in shape, but unlike most similar finds, it has a reduced height (less than a meter) and an inscription engraved on the top instead of on the side. Theinscription, which reads clearly, reads, “CCL[...] / T(itus) Annius T(iti) f(ilius) / co(n)s(ul),” indicating a distance of 250 miles and the name of Titus Annius, son of Titus, who laid the milestone during his consulship. However, there are still doubts about the interpretation of the epigraph and the precise identification of the consul, who could be either Titus Annius Lusco (consul in 153 B.C.) or Titus Annius Rufus (consul in 128 B.C.).

The memorial stone was found in the last century during reclamation work and kept for decades on private land by the Bison family. Now, this valuable find will become part of the Pomposian Museum in the Pomposa Abbey complex. Before being exhibited to the public, the milestone will undergo restoration, in an operation planned by the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the metropolitan city of Bologna and the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara and the Direzione Regionale Musei Emilia-Romagna.

The transport was handled by the Ferrara Archaeological Group with the collaboration of the Municipality of Codigoro, which managed traffic to facilitate the move.

The milestone shows how during the second century B.C. consular roads were crucial because they had to open new communications in areas that were gradually being conquered by the Roman Republic.

Roman milestone found in Codigoro. It will now become part of the Pomposian Museum

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