As the 2025 field season draws to a close, the excavation team at Podere Cannicci celebrates a campaign marked by significant discoveries and transformative insights. This year’s work has brought us closer than ever to understanding the full complexity of this late Etruscan and Republican rural settlement, set in the heart of the Ombrone River valley.
Uncovering the Settlement’s Full Extent
The most striking outcome of the season was the exposure of a much larger portion of the settlement than previously known. For the first time, we are able to trace the wider extent and internal organization of the vicus, revealing a more articulated layout of structures, open spaces, and infrastructure than had been expected. This broader view confirms Podere Cannicci’s role as a coordinated and economically active hub, rather than a loose cluster of rural buildings.
Reconstructing the Manufacturing District
Careful excavation and detailed stratigraphic analysis have allowed us to reconstruct the development of the manufacturing district from the 3rd to the early 1st century BCE. This sector, characterized by consistent traces of metalworking, reflects the settlement’s strong involvement in regional economic networks. The evolving layout and function of this area reveal dynamic patterns of growth, adaptation, and eventual abandonment tied to wider socio-political changes.
Area 1000: From Building to Infrastructure Hub
Area 1000, once thought to be an isolated building along a roadside, has taken on new meaning this season. The exposure of a stone-lined drainage channel and the surprising finds within its fill have redefined the role of this sector. The drain’s construction and use phases speak to a complex interplay between infrastructure and activity, pointing to unexpected functions and connections within the broader settlement. What seemed a minor feature is now emerging as a key node in the site’s infrastructure.
Looking Ahead: Area 3000 as the Settlement’s Core
Finally, attention is shifting to Area 3000, which promises to become central to our understanding of Podere Cannicci’s overall nature and economy. Although only partially excavated, this area is strategically located and already reveals architectural elements and material assemblages suggesting it may lie at the core of the settlement’s social and productive life. Future campaigns will focus on this area to explore its full potential and define its role within the vicus.
The 2025 season has confirmed Podere Cannicci as a vital case study for rural life in Roman Italy—rich in complexity, infrastructure, and economic connectivity. As we prepare for the next stage of research, we do so with a deepened appreciation for the landscape’s layered history and the stories still buried beneath its surface.
A heartfelt thanks to our team of students, specialists, and local collaborators—none of this would be possible without your passion, endurance, and expertise.
Alessandro Sebastiani 
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