Musestre
Welcome to Musestre: physical geography
Hello everyone! This is a brief overview of the physical geography of Musestre, a fraction of the municipality of Roncade with a strategic location. Musestre is located approximately 7 km south of Roncade, on the left bank of the Musestre River and near the mouth of the Sile River. This river, the Sile, divides Musestre from Quarto d'Altino, where a bridge connects them. This location is protected as part of the regional natural park of the Sile River.
The history of Musestre
Musestre is an ancient historic center and is the oldest settlement in the area after the city of Altinum. Probably thanks to the presence of Altinum, a Roman castrum was built to defend it. After the construction of the castrum, a medieval castle was built, then destroyed and of which only the "Eberardo tower" remains today. Musestre became a major commercial center and communication hub during the Roman period, intercepting commercial routes. Historical evidence and excavations conducted in the area show that Musestre was of great strategic importance to the Roman Empire.
With the barbarian invasions, the center became smaller, but then returned to importance thanks to the construction of the medieval castle by the Lombards (6th-7th century), of which the tower called Eberardo remains today as a hotel. The first mention of Musestre is in the 863 testament of Eberardo of Friuli, the margrave of Friuli and father of the Emperor Berengar of Italy, who had established his residence here in this fortress.
The road network of Musestre
Musestre was of great importance to the Roman Empire due to its strategic geographical location. In fact, due to trade and the ever-increasing Roman expansion in the surrounding territories of the Alps, there was a need to build an efficient road network, capable of connecting the Capital (city) with the most remote areas of the Roman Empire.
The two roads that passed through the territory of Musestre were the via Claudia Augusta Altinate and the via Annia. The first, built in 15 BC by the general Drusus Major, was tasked with transporting resources to the newly conquered territories of Gaul; while the second, probably traced in the 2nd century BC, linked (although its route is not well known) the city of "Patavium" (Padua) to the important center of Aquileia.
A possible death of a Roman emperor
There is a well-founded hypothesis that the Roman Emperor Lucius Verus, who died during a military expedition against the Parthians, died in Musestre. This hypothesis could be verified thanks to the presence of an inscription in honor of the emperor found in the area.
The archaeological heritage of Musestre
In the seventies-eighties of the last century, near the ancient Tower, a Roman funerary sarcophagus of considerable value was found, which was placed for a long period at the Marco Polo elementary schools of Musestre, and subsequently brought to the Bailo museum in Treviso.
Conclusion
This is just a brief overview of the history and culture of Musestre, a geographical fraction of the municipality of Roncade worth visiting. Here you can find many interesting places rich in history, as well as a wide variety of natural landscapes. Come and discover the wonders of Musestre and live unforgettable cultural experiences!
