The St Martin Quadra

In the area around St. Martin/San Martino there are some scarcely visible archaeological signs on the landscape which can be traced back to the Roman surveying system known as Quadra. The distance between parallel land boundaries and their relationship to ancient boundary markers and paths provide a system of squares, with each side measuring approximately 240 metres. This measurement corresponds to a unit commonly used in mountain areas in Roman times.

According to this system, the intersection of the main Roman survey lines (cado and decumanus) lies right on the hill where the castle of St. Martin/San Martino is sited. It is said that in the 13th Century, the first part of the castle, a living tower, was built at this precise point. Coincidence or a conscious continuation of a centuries-old tradition? Future research will try to solve this interesting question.