In the locality of Loreto a rescue excavation was carried out during the summer in the area of the third terrace of the large sanctuary that was partially excavated by W. Johannowsky at the beginning of the 1960s. The preliminary geophysical investigations undertaken by the British School at Rome revealed the presence of a temple structure on a north/south alignment. The excavation which followed (three trenches) brought to light a peripteral temple sine postico, on a north/south alignment built in opus incertum. On the west side the building stood on a high podium faced with tufa blocks, whilst on the other sides the foundations were built against the terrain. Moreover, behind the temple, the parapets and part of the basalt surface of a road were uncovered together with the cuts relating to a stairway leading to the upper level of the sanctuary’s third terrace.

Continuation of the excavation then revealed the existence of an earlier structure on a different alignment: a sacellum built of grey tufa blocks with a platea on which a rectangular altar stood. Little is known of the upper sections of the building as only fragments of the trabeation and Corinthian tufa capitals, fragments of cyma and antefixes, a few patches of opus signinum floor with white limestone tesserae and decorative motifs in coloured tessera remained. All of these elements were datable to the 3rd century B.C.

A pit situated immediately up against the temple’s eastern foundations produced pottery and a terracotta female head datable to the beginning of the 5th century B.C. Fragments of terracotta female statues, life size or slightly larger, of the type carrying a young boy on the shoulder, were also found.

No evidence of alterations to the structures dating to the Roman period were found, whilst use of the site was attested by a fragment of marble statue of the female Borghese Hera type. The area seemed to have been abandoned in the 4th century A.D.

See also
http://www.fastionline.org/micro_view.php?)item_key=fst_cd&fst_cd=AIAC_137