A. Angera Civic Archaeological Museum

Audio narration by eArsA. Angera Civic Archaeological Museum (Remo Cardana RC, Luigi Innocenti LI, Anna Bernardoni AB)Narrator: Anyone with a passion for archaeology knows that necropolises are real treasure troves of ancient artifacts, buried alongside the dead among their grave goods. The Roman necropolis of Angera lies in the exact location of the modern-day cemetery.But there’s another place of great significance, the source of many objects now displayed here in the Civic Archaeological Museum.It’s a cave, just beneath the fortress—known to the locals as the Tana del Lupo, the Wolf’s Lair.No longer accessible, this was once a place people often visited—not just archaeologists, but even children and teenagers, like Remo Cardana:RC: "Even when I was a kid, it was off-limits. The name in dialect, Boeuc del Luf, was probably meant to scare us children away and keep us out. But of course, we went in anyway. It was like stealing apples. And when we were older, we went there to smoke!Hah!"N: It was clear even then that the Wolf’s Lair was more than just a cave. Excavations began as early as the nineteenth century and continued well into modern times.Luigi Innocenti took part in the 1973 excavations with the Mario Bertolone Historical and Archaeological Association, which played a crucial role in the rediscovery and protection of Angera’s most ancient past.LI: "On the slope leading up to the fortress of Angera, hidden by dense vegetation and carved into the rock face, lies a large cave.In 1868, a scholar from Como named Biondelli noticed several carved recesses on the outer wall of the cave—once used to hold roman inscriptions.He was the first to suspect that, in Roman times, the cave had been a place of worship, perhaps dedicated to Mithras. Later archaeological excavations confirmed that the site had also been inhabited in prehistoric times—around 14,000 years ago. Excavations carried out in 1973 in the cave led to the discovery of a small space that had remained untouched for two thousand years.There, on the floor, several Roman oil lamps and three coins from the 4th century were recovered. These items are now on display at the local museum. The space was named “Saletta Monica” in honor of Monica Jung, the youngest member of the excavation team.N: Recent studies also suggest that the cave may have hosted a cult dedicated to female deities: the Matronae.