Archaeologists in northern Italy have uncovered the remains of an early Christian church beneath the historic center of Oderzo, a small city near Venice. The find marks the oldest known Christian worship site in the ancient town, once called Opitergium.
Officials shared the preliminary results on June 19 at Palazzo Foscolo in Oderzo. The city government and the Superintendency of Padua organized the event.
Excavation work began in November 2025 in an area known as the former fish market (Pescheria). Crews started digging ahead of a planned residential development set to reshape part of the old town.
Small test trenches first hinted at something important below ground. That led officials to order a wider dig to learn more. The firm Diego Malvestio & Co. carried out the excavation, which now covers close to 30 by 30 meters (98 by 98 feet), matching the footprint of the future housing project.
Foundations and floor plan reveal scale of early Christian church in Italy
Workers uncovered the foundations of a large rectangular building, roughly 23 meters (75 feet) wide and at least 30 meters (98 feet) long. The structure once held three separate aisles.
Builders set its thick brick walls on wooden piles driven deep into the soil for extra support, a common construction method at the time. The building’s western front no longer exists. A canal, likely dug in medieval times, cut through that section long ago.
Colorful mosaic floors cover large parts of the site, especially the southern aisle. The patterns include octagons, interlocking circles, and leaf designs typical of northern Italy in late antiquity. Based on these styles, researchers date the early Christian church in Italy to the late fourth or fifth century.
Crews also found four graves along the building’s southern wall. Three of the graves held two bodies each, bringing the total to seven people. None contained burial goods.
Anthropologists are now studying the remains. Researchers also plan to run radiocarbon tests on bones and wooden support piles to nail down a more precise age for the site.
Nearby Byzantine and Roman-era finds add context to the site
Nearby digs in past years uncovered related finds, including mosaics now on display at the Eno Bellis Archaeological Museum and a fortified Byzantine structure found at a former prison site. Together, the discoveries show how Oderzo changed after the fall of the Roman Empire.
It remains unclear how this suburban church fits into the ranks of Oderzo’s earliest bishops. The site sits about 100 meters (328 feet) south of the city’s current cathedral.
Officials say the excavation will continue for years, followed by restoration work. Plans call for preserving key parts of the site so visitors can see them once construction finishes, giving Oderzo a lasting connection to its ancient roots.
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