“Progetto Velia”: lo scavo degli horrea Piperataria nel Foro Romano (campagne 2021-2023)

This paper presents the results of the 2021–2023 excavation campaigns carried out within the framework of the Velia Project. The investigations focused on the area between the Basilica of Maxentius and the Clivo delle Carine extending earlier research conducted beneath the Basilica. The excavations have yielded new evidence for the urban development of the Velia and for the architectural history of the complex identified as the horrea Piperataria, the imperial spice warehouse built by Domitian. The stratigraphic sequence documents continuous occupation of the area from the Republican period through Late Antiquity and beyond. Beneath the Flavian warehouse, the excavation revealed remains of Augustan–Julio-Claudian and Neronian phases, allowing a reassessment of the urban transformations that affected this sector of the city along the via Sacra. Particular attention has been devoted to the western part of the complex overlooking the Clivo delle Carine, where the excavation identified successive architectural phases that significantly refine current reconstructions of the topography of this sector of ancient Rome. The study also reconstructs the later history of the site, highlighting processes of reuse and transformation from Late Antiquity to the modern era. The integration of stratigraphic analysis, digital survey, and photogrammetric documentation has made it possible to reconstruct the development of this sector of the Roman Forum and to place the horrea Piperataria within a broader framework of urban and topographical change.