The sacred context of St. Laverioby Gioia Bertelli
The building, in a position slightly elevated, is placed in the middle of a flat area affected by the confluence of two rivers: Agri river and Sciaura stream. According to the Passio (that is the narration of martyrdom), written in 1162 by Roberto da Romana, deacon of Saponara, Laverio, at the beginning of fourth century, before emperor Constantine converting himself to Christianity, was beheaded outside the city of Grumentum, at the crossing point between the two rivers, and then buried there. On his burial place it was built by the willingness of Grumentum people a church of great beauty, as the Latin source says.
The church of nineteenth century was affected by restorations that led also to the identification inside the area of a series of structures in relation to the oldest attendance phases in the area, some of which of clearly pagan funerary origin, to be connected with the near Roman city. Inside the church and in the surrounding area archaeological surveys, began in 2008 and now still in progress, permitted to recover various and numerous data that helped to set the area history in a better way, which can be in broad terms outlined in this way.
Related to the early Christian building seem to be the structures reportable to north and south perimeter walls, widely damaged and rebuilt during the time. The northern zone hasn’t been investigated yet, except for the western area, where has been brought to light a quadrangular room and other structures, referring to two ossuaries of later Medieval age, of which just one has been already explored. Researches relative to excavation campaign in 2010, prevalently concentrated in the eastern area, outside the church, brought to light also here a very thick presence of burials, piled up one upon the other, with orientation east-west, concerning different time of settlements, of which the later should be pertinent to a medieval phase. Among the resulting material, were recovered numerous fragments of painted plaster, probably to be related with the internal decoration of early Christian church and fragments of plastering. In the western zone, in front of today’s church entrance have been identified two stone sarcophagi, of which one decorated with bucranium, kantharoi, garlands and foliages can be dated to the third century A.C., and some funerary stones reused in the masonry; inside the church, above the altar, was placed a statue of late medieval age depicting St. Laverio; all the artifacts, like other erratics found in the area, are kept at the nearby National Archaeological Museum of Upper Agri Valley.
Copyright text and pictures (where there aren't other references) by Gioia Bertelli. |