Sanctuary of Hercules Curinus in Sulmona: An Italic and Roman Religious Site

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.5

Popularity: Very Low

Google Maps: View on Google Maps

Official Website: www.archeoabruzzo.beniculturali.it

Country: Italy

Civilization: Roman

Remains: Religious

History

The Sanctuary of Hercules Curinus is situated in Sulmona, a town in the province of L’Aquila, within the Abruzzo region of Italy. It occupies a mountainous area on the Morrone range, positioned between the Abbey of Santo Spirito dei Celestini and the hermitage of Celestine V. The site was constructed by Italic peoples before Roman dominance, serving as a religious center dedicated to Hercules under the epithet “Curinus.”

In the Republican era, the sanctuary gained the name “Curinus” or “Quirinus,” a title linked by Romans to the deified Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. This connection symbolized the unity of early communities that eventually formed the Roman state. The epithet was also applied to other deities, such as Jupiter Quirinus worshipped in nearby Superaequum.

Following the Social War, which ended in 89 BC and involved Rome’s Italian allies seeking citizenship rights, the sanctuary underwent significant expansion. It transformed from a modest local shrine into a large terraced complex. This development paralleled other monumental sanctuaries built in the same period, including the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia at Palestrina and the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor at Tibur, indicating a wider trend of religious and architectural growth in central Italy.

Around the 2nd century AD, an ancient landslide buried the upper section of the sanctuary. Despite this natural disaster, the site remained in use. Evidence shows that a Christian church was constructed adjacent to the southern stairway, marking a shift in religious practices and the continued importance of the location into the Christian era.

Remains

The sanctuary is arranged on two terraces built during different periods. The lower terrace is the more recent addition, constructed using opus caementicium, a Roman concrete technique. It features a monumental podium stretching 71 meters and contains fourteen barrel-vaulted rooms, which likely served various functional or ritual purposes.

The upper terrace dates back to before the Sullan period (before the mid-1st century BC). It was enclosed on three sides by a colonnaded portico, of which some column bases still survive. This terrace formed the core sacred area of the sanctuary.

A large stairway on the southern side provided a grand entrance to the sanctuary. This stairway may have also functioned as a gathering place for local assemblies, held under the protection of the god Curinus.

At the center of the upper terrace stood an altar uniquely covered with bronze plates, a rare feature in Italic sanctuaries. Nearby was a small sacellum, or shrine, dedicated to Hercules. Archaeological excavations uncovered two cult statues from this sacellum: one bronze statue, now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Chieti, and one marble statue.

Among the finds is a small column inscribed with twelve verses in graffiti attributed to the poet Ovid, a native of Sulmo (modern Sulmona).

Despite partial burial by a landslide, many features of the sanctuary remain visible or preserved, providing valuable insight into Italic religious architecture and practices.