Relics depicting the face of a 15th-century pope found in Rome

A 15th century object linked to Pope Paul II was found this Wednesday (10) in Rome, capital of Italy, during works to install a new metro line in Piazza Venezia.

It is a terracotta vase containing three commemorative bronze medals dated 1465, with the image of Pietro Barbo (1417-1471), who was head of the Vatican between 1464 and 1471 and who commissioned the construction of the Palazzo Venezia building complex and the adjacent Palazzetto, which took place in 1467.

"The discovery of these medals, probably hidden during the construction of the building, reveals an auspicious practice linked to the building industry at the end of the 15th century," explains the special superintendent of Rome, Daniela Porro.

According to her, "it is suggestive that the discovery occurred during the current Jubilee, as it offers us the opportunity to enrich our knowledge of a very particular aspect of daily life and practices associated with celebratory, if not superstitious, traditions linked to the building activity of papal Rome during the Renaissance."

The terracotta vase containing the three medals depicting Paul II found today was discovered on the site of the original Palazzetto Venezia, which was removed in the early 20th century to make way for the current piazza and Palazzo Vittoriano, which offers a terrace with panoramic views of the Italian capital. At the time, archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani reported the discovery of similar objects containing three to five coins or medals during construction on the foundations of the former Palazzo Venezia.

"Hiding these objects in the structures of buildings large and small is a practice with a much older tradition, linked to a kind of foundation rite associated with the construction of important complexes, such as palaces and churches, but which is also found today in the most common private buildings," says Marta Baumgartner, archaeologist at the Superintendency of Rome and scientific director of the excavation.

For Luigi La Roca, head of the Guardianship Department of the Ministry of Culture, "the discovery of this small treasure hidden in the foundations of the Palazzetto Venezia, in addition to the historical value of the discovery that attests to the date of construction of the building complex in 1467, highlights once again the extraordinary depth of the historical stratification of the city."