Photo: Italianlearner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological site
- Coordinates
- 40°55′16″ N, 14°01′48″ E
History and description
Liternum was an ancient town of Campania, southern central Italy, near "Patria Lake", on the low sandy coast between Cumae and the mouth of the Volturnus. It was probably once dependent on Cumae. In 194 BC it became a Roman colony. Although Livy records that the town was unsuccessful, excavation reveals a Roman town existed there until the 4th century AD.
History
The town is mainly famous as the residence of the elder Scipio Africanus, who withdrew from Rome and died there. His tomb and villa are described by Seneca the Younger in his Moral Letters to Lucilius. In letter LXXXVI, Seneca describes the villa as being built with squared stone blocks with towers on both sides.
In Ovid's Metamorphoses Liternum is mentioned for its mastic trees: lentisciferum... Liternum. Augustus Caesar is said to have conducted a colony of veterans to Liternum.
The construction of the Via Domitiana through Liternum made it a posting station, but the town later had a malaria outbreak and went into decline. In 455, the town was pillaged and destroyed by Genseric, king of the Vandals, with the surviving population migrating towards the site of present-day Giugliano in Campania.
Excavations between 1930 and 1936 brought to light some elements of the city center (a forum with a podium temple from the early years of the town, a basilica and a small theater). Outside the city walls, the remains of the amphitheater and the necropolis have been identified.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Liternum».
Photos
Getting there
LicolaTrain, nearest
6.0 km as the crow flies
Liternum
Aeroporto di Napoli Capodichino22.2 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore archaeological sites in Campania
- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Where is Liternum?
Liternum is in Giugliano in Campania, in the province of Napoli (Campania), Italy. GPS coordinates: 40.92109, 14.03013.
What else is there to see near Liternum?
Nearby you’ll find: Parco archeologico di Liternum (100 m away), Anfiteatro romano di Liternum (500 m away), Torre degli Incurabili (4.1 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 7 photos
- Ruins of Liternum, Lago Patria — Italianlearner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Le colonne del tempio nel foro di Liternum — GFR2405, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Liternum 01 — Saverio.G, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Liternum colonna — PhotoNp, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Liternum in bianco e nero — PhotoNp, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Liternum vista dall' esterno — PhotoNp, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Resti principali di Liternum — PhotoNp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences