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Piazza Pozzo Dorico in Cori: the square built on the roof of a Roman cistern
In the heart of the historic centre of Cori, Piazza Pozzo Dorico appears to be a quiet open space among the town’s lanes. Its true nature, however, is hidden beneath the paving. This square actually covers a monumental Roman cistern, a feat of engineering built between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC to support the ancient forum of the city. A masterpiece that lives on to this day.
Pizzitónico, the beating heart of the neighbourhood
Its official name is almost unknown to its own inhabitants: for everyone in Cori, this place is simply "Pizzitónico", a makeshift football pitch for children and the meeting point for chats in the sun. The square stands on the area once dominated by the Temple of the Dioscuri and, from the 13th century, by the Church of the Santissimo Salvatore (Most Holy Saviour). A space that has been used for millennia.
A world beneath the surface
Beneath one's feet is an entire complex. The structure served not only as a water reservoir, in all likelihood it also housed a covered market, warehouses and artisan workshops. For a long time it was believed that the city's baths lay beneath here, but this hypothesis has now been almost entirely dismissed by scholars. One detail to look out for is the ancient stone manhole cover on the side facing Via Petrarca, one of the few visible traces of this underground world.
The square is a public space in the historic centre, easily reachable on foot.
