Campagna 2006a

The area partially explored in 1994 was extended to the central part of the piazza in front of the Capitolium, where surface layers of dumped material were removed down to the Byzantine occupation layers. The pieces of an almost completely reconstructable headless statue, a replica of the Hellenistic Umbildung with belt were recovered from these layers. This is the most widely known type, the so-called Aphrodite Louvre Napoli, preliminary date late 1st century A.D. This copy is an interesting attestation in a western context of this type, to date represented in Italy by only three copies (Tampa, Villa Borghese Rome, Palazzo Colonna Rome), as well as the two unpublished examples in Florence Archaeological Museum. A section of the northern portico was exposed and architectural elements were recovered that were useful for the re-composition of the double Ionic-Corinthian colonnade. The rooms behind the colonnade were also exposed, comprising a large colonnaded vestibule forming the entrance to a public building and an apsidal niche interpreted as a sacellum of the imperial cult.

Campagna 2006b

The excavations in September-October investigated the northern end of the forum, already partially explored in the 1950s. The aim was to uncover the ancient structures completing this part of the forum area, obliterated by layers of colluvium. The removal of these layers and structural collapses revealed the first sector of the northern portico. More architectural elements were recovered from the Ionic-Corinthian colonnade including fragments of architrave and frieze decorated with vegetal motifs and arms. Behind the portico, the large entrance vestibule, leading into a public building, was seen to measure 16 × 12 m. The apsidal niche was 4 m wide and 6 m deep and paved with “Greco scritto” marble, moderately well-preserved over most of the surface. Continuation of the investigation towards the east revealed more of the portico and a room whose walls were faced with marble, only partially excavated.