Description of the attraction
"House of the Surgeon" is a unique archaeological complex located in Rimini in Piazza Ferrari. Today, this complex, covered with a huge glass dome, is open to the public. Archaeologists call it "Little Pompeii" in the center of Rimini. The finds made on the territory of the complex have already gained fame all over the world - it was here that the oldest surgical instruments, now kept in the City Museum, were discovered.
The "Surgeon's House" was discovered in Piazza Ferrari in 1989 during the development of the city garden. Systematic archaeological excavations began immediately and lasted until 2006. As a result, an area of about 700 square meters was brought into the world. The most interesting finds of the complex are the ruins of a residential area in its northern part, facing the Adriatic coast (at that time it was located a kilometer further than today). The area was flanked by two streets - cardo and decumanus. Later, already in the era of Ancient Rome, another house was located here, which was named the "House of the Surgeon". This two-storey residential building was built in the second half of the 2nd century BC. and destroyed by fire in the middle of the 3rd century AD. Inside it, archaeologists found large fragments of decorated plaster products, vases, oil lamps, figurines, bronze dishes and a treasure of about 90 coins. One of the rooms of the house was decorated with a multi-colored mosaic depicting Orpheus. It was in this building that the most complete set of surgical instruments was discovered, as well as mortars, bowls, measures and vessels for the preparation of medicines.
Also on the territory of the complex were found traces of flooring made of crushed shards, the remains of an early medieval settlement, the foundations of some buildings of the 16-18th centuries, stone wells and a granary, probably related to the Church of San Patrignano. All these artifacts, now under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Museum, provide an insight into the life of Rimini over the past two thousand years.
