This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
The Mithraeum Archaeological Area: the Underground Sanctuary of the Cult of Mithras
The Mithraeum of Marino is located in the historic centre, beneath Piazza San Barnaba. The underground sanctuary dates from the 2nd–3rd century AD, when the cult of the Persian god Mithras was spread through soldiers and merchants throughout the Roman Empire. In Marino the mithraeum was created in an older Roman cistern, reused as a place of mystery cult worship. The structure was discovered in 1960 during building works that brought the underground chamber to light.
The Sanctuary
The mithraeum is a rectangular hall about 12 metres long, with a barrel vault and two lateral masonry benches, where initiates sat during the rites. At the back there is a niche that housed the relief of the god Mithras in the act of slaying the sacred bull, the central scene of the cult. The original relief has been lost; a plaster copy remains. The walls preserve traces of painted plaster and Latin inscriptions carved by the faithful.
Visits and Archaeological Setting
The mithraeum can be visited by appointment through the Municipality of Marino. Access is from the square, with a modern staircase descending underground. The space is small and dark, faithful to the idea of a sacred cave, characteristic of mithraea. In the Castelli Romani there are other Mithraic sanctuaries: in Albano Laziale, Marino (two), Rocca di Papa and Santa Marinella. Further evidence of how widespread this cult was in the Lazio region.
