Area 4 is almost 4 hectares wide and is comprised between the modern Via Statilia to the North, via Carlo Felice to the South, via Emanuele Filiberto to the west and Porta Maggiore to the East.

Until the Nineteen century's development of this portion of the city, following the establishment of Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, this area was occupied by large vineyards and villa properties like vigna Falcone, later bought by the Russian ambassador Aleksandr Michajlovič Belosel'skij-Belozerskij and gradually developed in what is today Villa Wolkonsky, the residence of the British Ambassador to Italy.

During the early imperial era the area was crossed by the Neronian branch of the Aqua Claudia (Area 8) and by a large necropolis that developed along the Via Caelemontana towards Porta Maggiore. Some of the surviving tombs are still visible today: the first century CE columbarium of the architect Tiberius Claudius Vitalis (SA4.1) and the so called Republican tombs of the Via Statilia (SA4.2), that remained in use from the Late Republic to the early imperial age.

Thea Ravasi

Preliminary reports on the archaeology of Area 4 are available here:

• SA4.1 - The Tomb of Claudius Vitalis
• SA4.2 - The complex of burials of via Statilia