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The Fasti Verolani in Veroli: the Roman calendar carved in marble
The Fasti Verolani is a marble slab from the 1st century AD, preserved in the courtyard of Casa Reali in Veroli. Three months of the Roman calendar are carved into the stone — January, February, and March — along with the fairs, markets, and the nature of individual days. This rare artefact gives us an idea of how time was organised in ancient Rome.
A calendar to decipher
Each month is divided into three sections. The first sets the dates of fairs and markets, every 9 days. Roman numerals, in descending order, allow each day to be read in relation to three fixed dates: Kalends, Nones, and Ides. Then there are the letters — F, C, N, NP, EN — indicating the "nota dierum," the record or calendar of each day.
The discovery in the courtyard of Casa Reali
The discovery dates back to 1922, during works in the courtyard of Casa Reali, where an early Christian necropolis emerged. The marble slab had been reused as a tomb cover. It was reassembled and studied by Camillo Scaccia Scarafoni. Today the artefact is visible in a reproduction placed in the Civic Archaeological Museum, in the basement of the Council House.
