Isola Sacra - The area of the salt pans - The "Republican mole"

To the west of the salt pans, to the north-west of the Casalone del Sale and on the Tiber bank, a landing-stage was found in 1976. It has been called "Republican mole", even though the date is uncertain. It may have been related to the loading of salt on ships.

The area to the east of the Fiume morto. North is to the right. Image: Pannuzi et al. 2021, fig. 3.
To the left are the borgo and castle of Julius II, in the centre is the Casalone del Sale, the mole is to the right.

The mole was 100 meters long and 15 wide, and ran perpendicular to the river (today the remains are covered by earth and vegetation). It consists of a concrete platform surrounded by large tufa blocks. On top a second, later platform was found, which supported a road paved with basalt blocks. It seems that the mole was sticking out into the river. It that was indeed the case, then special provisions must have been made to facilitate the passage of tow-boats on their journey to Rome. In late antiquity the platform was used for nine burials.

The remains of the mole in 1976. Photo: Pannuzi et al. 2021, fig. 4.

On the north side is a rectangular room, which is still visible. The floor is covered with small terracotta tiles in a herringbone patern (opus spicatum). The walls are of opus reticulatum and covered with waterproof plaster (opus signinum), which suggests that the room was a cistern.

The room near the mole. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.