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Macellum of Naples

Archaeological sites in NaplesTourist attractions in Naples
Scavi san lorenzo maggiore01
Scavi san lorenzo maggiore01

The Macellum of Naples was the macellum or market building of the Roman city of Neapolis, now known as Naples. Due to the rise of the ground level the macellum is now located beneath the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore. The first construction dates to 5th or 4th century BC when the area was the location of the agora during the Greek period. When Neapolis became a Roman possession it was eventually transformed into a macellum. This structure was covered by a mudslide in the 5th century AD, probably as a result of flooding.An early Christian basilica was constructed over the remains of the covered macellum. Consequently, this basilica was replaced by new construction over the centuries. As a result, the mud slide preserved the remains of the macellum. The macellum had an entrance to the north, where the Via dei Tribunali runs now. The rectangular building consists of a porticoed area with workshops and an internal open courtyard with mosaic floors. In the middle of the courtyard was a tholos, a circular building used for food selling. Small tabernae, a laundry and the treasury can still be recognized.Today the macellum can be visited as a part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Macellum of Naples (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Macellum of Naples
Via San Gregorio Armeno, Naples San Lorenzo

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 40.850833333333 ° E 14.258333333333 °
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Address

Convento di San Lorenzo Maggiore

Via San Gregorio Armeno
80138 Naples, San Lorenzo
Campania, Italy
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Scavi san lorenzo maggiore01
Scavi san lorenzo maggiore01
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San Lorenzo Maggiore, Naples
San Lorenzo Maggiore, Naples

San Lorenzo Maggiore is a church in Naples, Italy. It is located at the precise geographic center of the historic center of the ancient Greek-Roman city, at the intersection of via San Gregorio Armeno and via dei Tribunali. The name "San Lorenzo" may also refer to the new museum now opened on the premises, as well as to the ancient Roman market beneath the church itself, the Macellum of Naples. The church's origins derive from the presence of the Franciscan order in Naples during the lifetime of St Francis of Assisi, himself. The site of the present church was to compensate the order for the loss of their earlier church on the grounds where Charles I of Anjou decided to build his new fortress, the Maschio Angioino in the late 13th century. San Lorenzo actually is a church plus monastery. The new museum takes up the three floors above the courtyard and is given over to the entire history of the area that centers on San Lorenzo, beginning with classical archaeology and progressing to a chart display of historical shipping routes from Naples throughout Magna Grecia and the Roman Empire. The museum provides a detailed account of the local "city hall" that was demolished in order to put up the church in the 13th century and continues up past the Angevin period and into more recent history. Beneath San Lorenzo, about half of an original Roman market has been excavated. The site has been open since 1992, the result of 25 years of painstaking excavation. The market place is the only large-scale Greek-Roman site excavated in the downtown area. In this church Boccaccio met his beloved Fiammetta (1338).