Un gruppo di materiali architettonici in stucco e la più antica basilica di Tusculum

Between 2019 and 2022, a new research program in the monumental area of Tusculum has been dedicated to the investigation of the southeastern side of the forum square, in imperial times occupied by the basilica and a building whose interpretation has long been uncertain. The archaeological investigations have enabled the acquisition of data relevant to the reconstruction of the occupation phases of this sector of the city and to the sequence of the monuments that were built here over the course of time. Among the discoveries made, a group of fragments pertaining to an architectural apparatus in polychrome stucco, characterized by the presence of Corinthian capitals of a figured type, stands out. The state of preservation and the technical and stylistic characteristics of these materials allow us to develop some reflections on the monumental context to which they belonged and the cultural-historical horizon within which this decorative system was realized. In this contribution, therefore, we present a technical and stylistic analysis of these finds, an attempt to reconstruct the architectural scheme they composed, and a hypothesis that attributes them to one of the most debated buildings of the Tuscolan forum, the so-called Edificio porticato. The examination of the stratigraphic context of the finds and the reconstruction of the monument’s layout on the basis of the archaeological data provide new perspectives on the oldest basilica at Tusculum.