ALTA SEMITA
the name given in the Regionary Catalogue to the
sixth region of Augustus. This lay between the imperial fora, the east boundary of
Region VII, and the north-west boundary of
Region IV, and included the Viminal, the Quirinal, the valley between the Quirinal and the Pincian, and the lower slope of the latter hill. This region took its name from that of its principal street, the Alta Semita, which ran north-east along the ridge of the Quirinal to the porta Collina, corresponding with the modern Via del Quirinale and Via Venti Settembre
1 from the Piazza del Quirinale eastward. The north-eastern part of this street was probably called
VICUS PORTAE COLLINAE (q.v.), if we may infer this from an inscription (
CIL vi. 450) found near S. Susanna (
Jord. i. 1. 510) The ancient pavement lies at an average depth of 1.83 metres below the present level (HJ 418;
BC 1889, 332;
RhM 1894, 387;
Mitt. 1892, 312).
