Pian di San Martino between Via Cassia and Mineralogy

If you would like to explore a place through tangible traces, Pian di San Martino offers a combination of ancient road history and mineralogy. In Pian di San Martino, the ancient route of the Via Cassia ran in a straight line at an elevation of 110 m, oriented SSE–NNW. Fragments of the ancient Via Cassia have been preserved at Pian di San Martino; despite agricultural damage, its route can still be identified. The historic road therefore remains more than just a name, as its course can still be traced through individual fragments.

Ancient Roads and Archaeological Traces

Alongside the ancient Via Cassia, a section of an aqueduct with a lead-pipe conduit was uncovered in Pian di San Martino. A small burial ground with simple shaft graves was also uncovered alongside the ancient Via Cassia. If you are interested in cultural history, the history of water supply and burial practices here connects with that of an ancient transportation route.

Via Cassia and Via Francigena

The section of the Via Cassia passing through Pian di San Martino later became part of the Via Francigena, a favored pilgrimage route. Via Francigena Stage 41 from Viterbo to Vetralla is 16.9 km long and follows the original route as recorded in the Itinerary of Bishop Sigeric.

Mineralogical Features

Mineralogy also offers its own way of discovering the area. Pian di San Martino and the Fosso Ricomero are among the significant mineralogical areas near Vetralla in the direction of San Martino al Cimino. A mineralogical area measuring 3 × 2.5 km encompasses the localities of Tre Croci, Pian di San Martino (in the municipality of Vetralla), and Carcarelle (in the municipality of Viterbo). The area therefore includes parts of the municipalities of Vetralla and Viterbo.

Uraninite and uranothorianite were identified in geodes of distinctive sanidinite ejecta near Pian di San Martino. Near the Fosso Ricomero at Pian di San Martino, tetrahedral crystals were observed in cavities within a sanidinite block. Small, clear blue, prismatic osumilite-(Mg) crystals were also found in sanidinite ejecta in the Fosso Ricomero area; they reach a size of up to 0.5 mm. The finds therefore differ in material, shape, color, and size.

Guidance for Planning Your Trip

Mineralogical areas near Vetralla still offer researchers the potential to discover mineralized blocks. Near the usual search locations, researchers are advised to observe waterfalls and streams carefully. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore decide on your focus: the Via Cassia, aqueduct, burial ground, and Via Francigena represent cultural history, while the Fosso Ricomero and the mineral deposits appeal to geological interests.

More Destinations

For further travel planning: Tarquinia, Ischia Di Castro, Civita, Punta Del Lago, Fabrica, Bagnaia, Civitella Dʼagliano, Capraccia

For the broader travel overview: Viterbo.