Gallery | archmuseum.org

Paolo Verzone (1902-1982) A Journey in Time and Space | Archeology-4: Hierapolis

"the first campaign... in the ancient city of Hierapolis, a place now deserted, began on August 6, 1957..." (P. Verzone)

In 1957 Paolo Verzone, a lecturer at the University of Istanbul since 1952, received permission from the Turkish Government to undertake the first campaign of the Italian Archeological Mission in Hierapolis of Phrygia (now Pamukkale, Turkey): the ancient Hellenistic-Roman town (founded at the beginning of the 2nd century BC) that appeared before his eyes must have been much the same as that described in the 18th-19th centuries by the numerous European travellers who passed through the valley of the River Menderes to reach its white travertine cliffs. Spread out on the terrace above the calcareous deposits, the town occupies an area of 1000 x 800 metres, organized upon a grid of streets intersecting at right angles. The ancient plateia, or main street, forms the major north-south artery.

Enormous necropol extend on the hills surrounding and roads departing from the city, bracing it in funereal buildings. At the centre of the urban space lies the ancient place of worship connected with the thermal springs where the sacred complex dedicated to Apollo was built, next to the mysterious cave of Plutonium.

A theatre with a diameter of over 100 metres occupies four blocks on the street grid and is placed so as to exploit the natural inclination of the hill.

It was built after the devastating earthquake of 60 AD as part of a large-scale urban reconstruction, whose salient and most prestigious features were the Domitianus expansion (end of 1st century AD) built at the borders of the city and completed with impressive monumental gates, the construction of a vast thermal spa complex and the opening of the largest agora in Asia Minor. Town life continued throughout the Roman and Christian periods and was abandoned only in the 13th century, after disastrous earthquakes.

The Italian Archeological Mission Hierapolis in Phrygia was founded by Paolo Verzone who directed it for over thirty years. The Mission is dedicated to this extraordinary complex of monuments and natural riches, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

From the outset of its research activities, the Mission has been involved in the thorough investigation of the town. These activities have made it possible to discern the town’s historical stratigraphy and to highlight its most significant moumental complexes in a defined urban complex, starting from the Paleo-Byzantine remains which most triggered the interest of Paolo Verzone.

Through the co-ordination of the Torino Polytechnic, in recent years numerous teams from Italian and European universities (Lecce, Louvain, Naples, Venice, Genoa and Bari) have led to the progressive enrichment and refinement of the methodological organization of the research, thanks to the specialistic contributions of the various branches of archeology.

These works included the excavations and systematic analysis of: the northern monumental gate of the Domitian expansion; the Temples of the Oracle and Apollo with the monumental Nympheum adjacent to the sacred area; a number of buildings dedicated to Christian worship, including the outstanding Martyrium of St Philip; a substantial part of the vast city necropoli; and finally the analysis of the agora and its surroundings, of the monumental latrine and the Nympheum of the Tritons which flank the plateia.

Furthermore, immense and complex works of excavation, research and restoration, pursued for over forty years, have restored the theatre to its original monumentality, thanks to the complete unearthing and clearing of the cavea, and to the works of restoration of the scenic building. The "anastelosis" of the front of the stage with three overlapping orders and the complete restoration of the cavea are currently being investigated.