Nuceriola, un vicus lungo la via Appia nel territorio Beneventano: supporti aerofotografici per una ipotesi ricostruttiva

A little less than 6 km from Benevento the Ancient Appia Landscapes Project, conducted by the University of Salerno, has identified an important settlement on the plateau of Masseria Grasso, inhabited from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD. Free from post-ancient settlements, the site has been identified as Nuceriola from the Tabula Peutingeriana, located at the fourth mile from Beneventum along the Via Appia. Traditionally described as a statio, Nuceriola appears to have played multiple roles, making it a key center within the region’s settlement dynamics. Surveys, geophysical prospections and excavations have highlighted its strategic importance, further emphasized through comparisons with other sites. However, several questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding its topographical layout. Photointerpretation has been instrumental in addressing some of these uncertainties, helping to uncover new information that enrich our understanding of the site’s structure and guide ongoing excavations. Although the findings are still preliminary, they provide valuable insights into Nuceriola’s settlement pattern, its relationship with the broader territorial organization, and the role of minor centers in the Samnium region. The results obtained, although still partial, offer a significant insight into the settlement of Nuceriola, its relationship with the area’s settlement pattern, and shed light on the role of these minor centres in the Samnium region.