Walking through the streets of Imola, or better yet looking at a map or an aerial photo, one immediately has the sensation not of a town made up of a mass of roads and buildings which have slowly risen, but of a well planned urban structure rationally organised and characterised by two main orthogonal roads (via Emilia, via Appia and via Mazzini) which cross in the centre of the town (near the Town Hall). From these main roads a series of side streets extend at right angles, therefore creating regular blocks.

This antique planning is a Roman territorial project about 2000 years old. The urban planning of today’s town is still based on the Roman Forum Cornelii, which was founded in the II century BC along the important via Aemilia.

The excavations in the area of Villa Clelia, which is situated in the north-west area of Imola, have uncovered an extraordinary monumental complex which is a fundamental reference in understanding the historical events between the late Roman era and the early medieval times of Imola and its territory.

 
The most important discoveries in chronological order have been:

• numerous tombs of the late Roman era around the IV and V century BC, which were part of a vast necropolis which extended on both sides of the Via Emilia on the north-west part of the town of Forum Cornelii;
• walls that belonged to a large early Christian basilica, probably built in the V century BC, which was dedicated to San Cassiano, since it was built over the presumable burial area of the martyr;
• the brick paved portal built next to the basilica;
• the numerous early medieval burials in one of which, a rich funeral outfit of jewels probably belonging to an upper class Germanic woman, were discovered;
• the remains of a moat and various wall structures which belonged to the inhabited medieval centre of San Cassiano. This village was constructed around the Bishop’s residence and afterwards it was fortified from the XI century and was called Castrum Sancti Cassiani. It entered in conflict with the neighbouring town of Imola many times and was eventually destroyed.
  

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Roman City
Still today under the town centre of Imola it is possible to find the remains of Roman buildings and roads, in fact whenever excavations are done every so often new remains are discovered. Under the Via Emila, Via Appia, and other side streets, ruins of many stretches of Roman roads have come to light.

These are paved with large stone slabs which were probably brought from the Venetian region by water as far as Conselice and then on carts along the Via Selice. Numerous discoveries of domus (homes) have revealed beautiful mosaic floors of value. Under Via S. Pier Grisologo a large part of the facing of a wall was recuperated. This was a painting with columns, theatrical masks, a goat and a basket of vegetables all on a red background.

In the area, between Piazza dei Caduti per la Libertà and Vicolo Inferno, there probably was a Roman Forum. Also in this area a large bronze finger was found which almost certainly belonged to a colossal statue. In the North-west area of Imola there was an amphitheatre (108 m. by 81 m.) which unfortunately was cancelled by the town expansion after the war.

Just on the outskirts of the town, especially along the Via Emilia there are numerous town necropolis. The tomb-stones can be seen in the fortress at the entrance of the Accademia Pianistica (the Piano Academy).

Among the most important archaeological discoveries of the last ten years in the territory of Imola are without doubt those of the Pre-Roman cemetery, probably belonging to the “Umbrians” of the VI and V century BC and to groups known as “villanoviani” of the VIII and the VII century BC. These cemeteries didn’t just contain the remains of the deceased but also a variety of personal objects and/or rituals which are precious evidence of the social role of the life of the dead and of the ideology and the rituals connected to the passing over.

 
Montericco
The archaeological excavation of Montericco has brought to light one of the most important necropolis of the “Umbrians” who lived in the romagnolo territory between the VI and V centuries BC. The 77 tombs, often with remains of the wood casket, were gathered to form a circle of about ten tombs, each of which most likely belonged to a family or a relative. The objects buried along with the deceased included pottery, a brooch, weapons – usually deposited in male tombs – and ornaments and utensils for weaving deposited for women. The most important tomb without doubt is number 72, which refers to a chief warrior buried with his helmet, bronze vases, a large belt, silver ornaments, 21 spear or javelin heads, 3 knives and finally 2 vases with black figure decorations which were probably imported from Greece.

 
Orto Granara e the project ‘The escavation at the Museum’
In 1998 in the quarry of Orto Granara (Municipality of Castel St. Pietro) a group of exceptionally large cremation tombs of “villanoviane” dating to the VIII and VII centuries BC were uncovered. The Museums of Imola, intentioned not just recuperate but also to valorise this discovery, realised a project entitled “The Excavation at the Museum”: which consisted in transferring not just the tombs to the Museum but also the excavations carried out in recuperating them. This specially made laboratory inside the museum has permitted hundreds of citizens and students with special guides to visit it. It has been possible to experiment advanced information techniques and to recuperate important and rich funeral outfits.

 
Pontesanto
Between 1999 and 2000, the ruins of a village and another “villanoviana” tomb were discovered in Pontesanto – a suburb of Imola. The same techniques used in recuperating Orto Granara were also used here and precious information was gathered about the pre-Roman communities and the funeral rites. The works of restoration have begun and a project to set up a large exposition of Orto Granara and Pontesanto is now being studied, to set up the first part as a permanent exhibition in the new museum which is located in the first cloister of the San Domenico.