© Cesare Moroni

The multimedia centre of Grosseto consists of two information stations: one is located inside the Museum of Archaeology and Art of the Maremma, the other is in the archaeological site of Roselle.

The Welcome totem in the Museum provides plenty of information on monuments in and around Grosseto and on the town’s history, introducing visitors to the main masterpieces preserved within this area.

The museum section dedicated to Roselle displays findings from all the excavation campaigns carried out in the ancient town to date. All pieces are chronologically divided by place of origin, with miniature site reconstructions (such as the one representing the ancient lake Prile with the towns of Roselle and Vetulonia) accompanying visitors around the museum.

The first section of the museum relates to the first settlement period, when the town was founded in the archaic age. This section gathers archaeological findings from the most ancient buildings of Roselle: the fenced building, the 2-roomed house and the Impluvium house. In particular, it displays some kilns topped with earthen jars and other evidence of domestic activities from the Impluvium. The religious life of this community shows in the votive offerings found in the area, while funeral rites are documented through many findings from the necropolises.

The second section in the museum gathers the archaeological finds dating back to the two historical stages before the Roman conquest (294 B.C.), i.e. the Classic period (5th to 6th centuries B.C.) and the Hellenistic period (3rd to 1st centuries B.C.), and the subsequent Romanisation of Roselle.

The third museum section includes pieces from the Imperial age. A large room hosts a significant number of Roman statues found in Roselle: the sculpture cycle from the Basilica dei Bassi is arranged along one of the curvilinear walls of the room, right opposite another very important statue cycle from the Augusteo. The same room also displays various portray-heads from the basilica and others from the Domus dei Mosaici representing members of the Julius-Claude dynasty. A number of inscriptions signed by Vicirio Proculo also witness the existence of the powerful Vicirii family, born and consolidated within this territory.

Visitors wishing to reach and visit the archaeological site of Roselle will find a Welcome totem showing and commenting the plan of this ancient site created by the Etruscans, grown under the Romans and gradually “disappeared” during the Middle Ages. Although traces of Prehistorical and Proto-historical human presence have been found, Roselle only became an urbanised area in the 7th century B.C.. The so-called “fenced building” dates back to this period. The building is located in the valley between the two hills, where the Roman Forum was later built. During the Etruscan age, lake Prile gradually transformed into a large lagoon connected with the sea.
The hydrographical features of this area positively affected the evolution of the Etruscan towns overlooking this water expanse (Roselle and Vetulonia). The Etruscans probably took advantage of the lagoon banks for mooring. Roselle also played a very important control role within the basin of river Ombrone. The river mouthed within lake Prile, further North from its current mouth and much closer to the town. It was a very important link between the coastal towns around lake Prile and the Sienese mainland (Chiusi and Murlo).

In the 6th century B.C. Roselle was a large urban centre: in this period the town was also provided with walls. Their polygonal structure built with sandstone bricks can still be admired today. The little valley and the two rises bordering it were fully urbanised too, although they featured a different physiognomy: on the Northern hill there were mainly private buildings and the Southern rise mainly hosted craft workshops, while the most prestigious buildings, those built for public functions, were located in the valley. The so-called “2-roomed house” dates back to this period. The width and central location of this building suggest it was used for public functions too.
A very well preserved monumental complex dates back to the Roman Imperial age. It includes: the Forum and its annexes, the Domus dei Mosaici with its sophisticated thermal baths, the amphitheatre, the Spas and the roads paved with flagstones, which show visible marks left by cart wheels.
In the late Imperial age, Roselle gradually decayed like every other Roman town. No more monumental constructions were added and the buildings already existed were altered and re-used for different purposes.

The period between the late 6th century and the first half of the 7th century was marked by the arrival of Lombard people within the territory. The small centre of Roselle still existing was progressively abandoned following the 1138 papal edict through which Innocence III sanctioned the transfer of the diocese to the nearby centre of Grosseto.

Hub location
Grosseto, Museum of Archaeology and Art of the Maremma - Piazza Baccarini 3, Grosseto

Open to the public
June-September: Tuesday-Thursday 10.00-13.00; 17.00-20.00 Friday-Saturday: 17.00-23.00; Sunday 10.00-13.00; 17.00-20.00; October - February: Tuesday-Friday 09.00-13.00; Saturday-Sunday 9.00-13.00; 16.30-19.00; May - April 09.00-13.00 and 16.30-19.00; Closed on Monday 

Admission fees
€ 5.00 full; € 2.50 reduced

Contact
Tel: +39 0564 488750 / 0564 488752; Fax: +39 0564 488753

Hub location
Archaeological Site of Roselle - loc. Roselle, Grosseto
 
How to get there
From Grosseto take the SS 223 North-wise, following directions to Siena for about 10 km

Open to the public
November - February: 09.00-17.30; March - October: 09.00-19.30 

Admission fees
€ 4.00 full; € 2.00 reduced (18 – 25 year old visitors); Free (under-18s and over-65s) 

Contacts
Tel: +39 0564 402403

E-Mail: maam@gol.grosseto.it