Archaeologists discover Jesolo's first hotel: dating back 1700 years

A team of archaeologists fromCa’ Foscari University of Venice has discovered the first"hotel" in Jesolo (the ancient Equilo, a city that began in the 2nd century AD to use murici for the production of purple for dyeing wool from Altino): this is a 1,700-year-old complex (it can be placed in the 4th-5th centuries AD), which was located on a small island near the estuary of the Piave Vecchia, in today’s Mure locality. The research project that led to the discovery lasted two years and was directed by Sauro Gelichi, professor of Medieval Archaeology in the Department of Humanities at Ca’ Foscari University.

The site found would be, Professor Gelichi explains, "a staging post(mansio), perhaps even for imperial officials, which was located along an endo-lagunar route. The presence of this route, alternative, or rather supplementary, to the land route, had been hypothesized, but today we have archaeological proof." Of this ancient mansio, a portion of the building used forhospitality has come to light: this ante litteram hotel had a series of rooms all the same and side by side. In turn, the rooms were divided into bedrooms and kitchens (in fact, each room had a brick hearth). Given its distance from the main roads in the area, the structure accommodated travelers moving by boat in the Venetian lagoon. To date, the Jesolo “hotel” is one of the best-preserved ancient accommodations found in Italy.

Satisfaction from the rector of Ca’ Foscari, Michele Bugliesi: “Archaeology is one of the leading areas of our research activities, and this new discovery by Ca’ Foscari is a remarkable achievement in a field in which our archaeologists are engaged in numerous excavations in Italy and abroad. It gives us great pleasure today to present the latest finds that add a new page to the history of our area. I thank the city administration for its valuable support and Professor Gelichi and his entire team for the success achieved.”

Source: Ca’ Foscari University.

Archaeologists discover Jesolo's first hotel: dating back 1700 years

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