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The Inscribed Stone in Paganico Sabino: A Roman Funerary Relief Carved into the Rock
A few minutes from the centre of Paganico Sabino, along a path going through oak and chestnut woods, a limestone boulder approximately 4 metres high bears a carved Roman funerary relief from the 1st-2nd century AD. This is called La Pietra Scritta (The Inscribed Stone): a sepulchral monument carved directly into the living rock, without the need for transported stelae or cippi. In rural Sabina, it was the practice to use what the land offered.
The Relief and Inscription
The smoothed surface of the boulder displays figures carved in bas-relief: busts of the deceased in togas, arranged in a niche framed by architectural elements. Below the portraits is a Latin inscription in capital letters with the names of the deceased and a dedication from their family members. The style is that of imperial funerary epigraphy, but adapted to a rural context: less refined than urban monuments, but more expressive. In the surrounding area there are other minor rock carvings, a sign that the area was used as a burial ground.
How to Get There
The path starts from the village and crosses through the woods for about 20 minutes. There are no explanatory panels, but the boulder is clearly visible from the path. La Pietra Scritta is one of the few Roman funerary reliefs still in situ in the Turano Valley, testimony to a farming community that lived and buried its dead among these hills two thousand years ago.
