Ancient temple discovered on the Palatine

Italian archeologists have uncovered a cavern presumed to be the location, where the Roman priests of Lupercus celebrated the founding of Rome

Romulus and Remus were the sons of the god Mars who were abandoned by the banks of the Tiber and were found by a female wolf who suckled them until they were raised by a shepherd named Faustulus. The brothers are said to have gone on to found Rome on April 21, 753 B.C., with the legend culminating in fratricide when Romulus killed his twin in a power struggle.

The ancient Romans celebrated the twins as the founders of their city. Traditionally there was always a wolf caged under the Capitol and a special priesthood - the priests of Lupercus - was commissioned to organize a cult around the myth as well as the yearly festivities around the Lupercalia, a spring festival celebrating fertility through a cleansing of the city and the land before a new season of growth.

Lupercalia
The beginning of the Lupercalia ceremonies occurred in the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus, Rome's legendary founders were said to have been suckled by a she-wolf as infants. After animal sacrifices and a long feast, Priests of Lupercus left the cave. They jogged around Rome's seven hills, naked but for a loincloth, wielding several strips of leather from a sacrificed goat. Swinging this improvised whip, the priests purified anything and anyone in his path. Barren women lined the streets in advance of the running priest, extending hands or baring their body to be briefly and symbolically whipped, as he passed by. The Lupercalia was celebrated until 494, when Pope Gelasius put an end to the practice, which was transformed into the core of the celebration of St. Valentine.

Lupercal
On Tuesday, the Italian government released photographs of a deep cavern found under the ruins of Emperor Augustus's palace on the Palatine Hill where some archaeologists claim that ancient Romans initiated the festivities of the Lupercalia. Photographs taken of the cave by a camera probe show a domed cavern decorated with extremely well-preserved colored mosaics and seashells. At the center of the vault is a painted white eagle, a symbol of the Roman Empire.

Drain on the finances
The cash-strapped Italian government has for some time been under a siege due to its selling out of its heritage. One part of the policy has been to let historical buildings be transformed into luxurious hotels, a course of action which has been heavily criticized. Even this strategy is however not sufficient and recently the government organised a three-day television telethon, appealing for funds for the restoration and protection of its many crumbling archaeological and cultural sites. Culture minister Francesco Rutelli, as well as actors and opera singers, appeared on the RAI to describe the plight of the country's monuments, many left unprotected for lack of funds. Seven monuments were selected to receive the money raised by viewers. These included Augustus's villa on the Palatine Hill in Rome, where the frescoes and flooring are decaying from exposure to sun and rain. And which now can boast of yet another potentially breathtaking tourist magnet.

It is supposed that Augustus built his villa right on top of the Lupercal in order to stress his reign as one of restoration.

Read more about the cave at the homepage of the Italian Ministry for Culture

Read more about the telethon at www.maratonarte.it and here