Work for the construction of an underground car park in Piazza Biffi, revealed a stratigraphic sequence which runs from the early Imperial period to the present day.
At 7m below present ground level evidence relating to alluvial phenomena and the bed of a small stream came to light. Three small, parallel furrows in the alluvial deposit, dating to a subsequent phase (1st-2nd centuries A.D.), were the result of agricultural activity. Before the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. the bed of the small stream was obliterated. The naturally marshy ground necessitated large scale land reclamation during the first half of the 3rd century A.D. This is attested by a large dump of pottery and the arrangement of numerous amphorae (mostly African and Spanish) in a line to provide support. All that is visible of the late antique and medieval phase is a large deposit of dark earth, rich in organic and plant remains, which perhaps indicate the practice of forestry or agriculture in the area. During the Rennaissance, the area continued to be water-logged, with several small streams running through it, probably affluents of the river Almone (Marana dell’Acquataccio). One of the most interesting pieces of evidence is a small bridge, on a NW-SE axis, built in irregular tufa blocks, bricks and reused marble bonded with mortar. This dates to some time after the 15th century. Traces of two water courses on the same alignment as the bridge can also be dated to this period. The demolition debris from the bridge produced Renaissance and modern materials. Most recently, the area underwent large scale land reclamation prior to the construction in the 1930s of the buildings which still stand around the piazza today. (Sergio Fontana, Davide Mancini, Carla Ninel Pischedda)