Castro - The exceptional discovery was made in the archaeological site.

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The exceptional discovery was made in the archaeological site "huts" in the center of Castro. The female torso was buried under three meters of land together with the remains of a balustrade decorated.

Archaeological excavations in the historical center of Castro gave an exceptional discovery: a marble bust depicting a goddess that could be Minerva, the goddess to whom is dedicated the temple, according to Virgil, hung over the legendary landing of Aeneas.
The bust was buried under three meters of land and not far found the remains of an arm and a finger that might belong to the same statue: its original height, according to the hypothesis of archaeologists, he reached four meters, including the balustrade which in recent months it has been found a fragment richly decorated.
The bust of the goddess probably dates from the fourth century but it could also be the oldest. The excavations, funded by the European Union, are continuing under the supervision of the University of Salento and the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage.

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"There are still many answers buried in the underground of Castro" - says Angelo Micello, project manager at the archaeological site huts "in almost six years of work we have crossed the centuries: from town to the medieval traces of Byzantine and Roman times up to the layers the oldest that today we deliver a valuable artifact. The value of the statue is not discussed, because it closes many circles remained open for many centuries, but I personally think that the work of art that deserves more attention is the one that looks like a balustrade protection the statue itself. If a good artist can sculpt by copying every detail of the human figure, the work of creation of gigantic floral pattern that makes up the rail is simply amazing: it could be a work of Escher, Art Nouveau or of our most baroque fireworks Lecce. Other pieces, is the statue of the balustrade are still under colmamenti, some already see. "




Text taken from    http://www.leccesette.it/dettaglio.asp?id_dett=28148&id_rub=105