FORUM CORNELII
(Imola) Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
The site of a Roman municipium 32 km SE of
Bologna on the Via Aemilia. The site is in an area inhabited since prehistoric times, though little is known of
the continuity. Monte Castellaccio, directly S of the town,
was a way station in the Bronze Age and not the only
example of such early development. The Roman center
was certainly built in connection with the Via Aemilia
and the name reflects restructuring of the region under
Sulla. The centuriation has the Via Aemilia as an axis,
and the cardo (Via Selice) crosses it in relation to the E
part of the urban area. The town was an early diocesan
seat. The economy appears to have been largely agricultural.
The plan of the city is very irregular in the E section
where the Via Aemilia itself could not be straight because
of the terrain. It is probable that there were two urban
phases, with an expansion to the W characterized by a
regular orthogonal system still partly preserved. It is
documented by the discovery of paved streets and the
remains of buildings. The civic center was definitely established in this area, at the intersection of the two principal axes. The plan of the city is notably elongated along
the route of the Aemilia, with rectangular city blocks
elongated in the same direction. The history of building
construction is largely documented by the remains of
extensive private houses. They include a domus in Via S.
Pier Crisologo from the first Imperial age, which has polychrome mosaics, and the much earlier suburban villa with
large rooms in Viale Rivalta. It also has mosaics. But the
period of great building activity continued at least through
the 3d c. A.D. The only public monument known today is
the amphitheater, to the W of the city and parallel with
the Via Aemilia. It was explored in 1929 and then covered
over. Its axes measure 108 m x 81 m and it has a circular
foundation of cemented brick and radial walls with opposing arches. It was dug into the earth, with earth
packed inside the masonry sustaining the tiers. The arena
was, in fact, much lower than the level of the plain in
ancient times. The chronology of the building is not clear;
possibly it dates from the early Imperial period. It is so
large that it must have served the inhabitants of an extended area.
The extensive population of the countryside around
the town is indicated by the relative number of large
villas, especially in the natural amphitheater formed by
the hills to the S of the city. Excavation of several villas
has revealed the existence of establishments for farming.
Elsewhere in the plain, kilns for the production of ceramics have been identified. The necropoleis are along the
access roads and have not been noted in any detail. From
the Ponticelli necropolis to the S came the remains of a
large monument with leonine ornamentation. To the W
is a suburban necropolis in use until late antiquity. In
that area the first Christian center developed around the
Church of S. Cassiano.
The modern name is probably pre-Roman, as attested
by the late sources, and was revived in mediaeval times.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mancini et al.,
Imola nell'antichità
(1957)MPI.
G. A. MANSUELLI
