The Torlonia relief

The so-called Torlonia relief was found in 1863 in Portus by Pietro Ercole Visconti. It is part of the private Torlonia collection that will soon be accessible to the public in Rome. The harbour of Portus is depicted. The generally accepted date is the end of the second or early third century. This is deduced from the hair style of the woman at the altar in the left ship: that of Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus. The only monographs about the relief are two unpublished theses. The relief is an essential piece of evidence in the discussions about the Forum Vinarium.