Excavations at Sesto Calende – Oratorio di San Vincenzo
The excavations in Sesto Calende at the ancient Oratorio di San Vincenzo are part of the archaeological investigations conducted by the University of Milan to reconstruct the population of the Lower Verbano in ancient times. The project, directed by Dr. Emanuele E. Intagliata, was born from a collaboration between the chair of Christian and Medieval Archaeology, held by Dr. Intagliata, and that of Classical Archaeology, held by Prof. Lorenzo Zamboni. To date, the area under investigation is owned by the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico and is managed by the Fondazione Patrimonio Ca’ Granda.
The project received the support of the Municipality of Sesto Calende, which granted a space on loan for free use to be used as a warehouse for storing the finds, of Pro Sesto Calende, which contributed to the construction site logistics and of the Parco del Ticino.
The 2024 Fieldwork
Field activities began in August 2024 with geophysical surveys conducted by Dr. Guglielmo Strapazzon. These surveys covered an area of about one hectare located immediately south of the ancient church. Following these preliminary investigations, it was decided to open three trenches (A-C) in areas considered promising to understand the entire life span of the structures detected with the georadar. Trench A covered the eastern sector of a structure oriented east-west and with a semicircular wall facing east. The structure is located approximately meters southwest of the San Vincenzo complex. Trench B covered the north-western corner of a large monumental building whose functions still remain to be clarified but which appears to be chronologically earlier than the church. Finally, Trench C covered an area close to the excavations conducted in the 1980s. Based on geophysical surveys, Trench C appears to be part of a series of rooms opening onto a large courtyard. The function of these rooms remains to be understood, but it seems clear that the structure underwent numerous alterations over the course of its long existence, including the installation of some early medieval tombs in its vicinity. The excavations saw the participation of a large group of students – undergraduates, graduates, and specialists – from the University of Milan. Four free guided tours of the site attracted hundreds of visitors to the site in September alone. Students from three schools at Sesto Calende were also able to see archaeologists at work and the structures that emerged before the excavation closed. Other meetings with citizens, a photographic exhibition, and the installation of an information board near the Oratorio di San Vincenzo are planned between 2024 and 2025.