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Veleia

A quiet Roman town in the Apennines, famous for Trajan's bronze welfare tablet.

  • Lugagnano Val d'Arda
  • Archaeological site
Plan your visit
Where
Lugagnano Val d'Arda
Best for
Tabula Alimentaria Traiana
Allow
1 hr 30 min
Best time
Spring or early autumn
Tickets
From €5
Checked September 2026

Veleia was a small Roman town in the Chero valley of the Apennines, founded in the first century and abandoned after landslides from the mountain above. In 1747 a chance discovery changed its fame: the Tabula Alimentaria Traiana, a bronze tablet recording the welfare scheme of the emperor Trajan, by which loans to landowners funded the upbringing of poor children.

It is one of the longest Latin inscriptions on bronze to survive. The original is now in Parma; the site's Antiquarium shows casts alongside jewelry, lamps and architectural fragments. Outdoors you walk the forum, the basilica and the baths across a quiet hillside, with almost no one else there.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The forumRoman, 1st century

    The civic heart of the town, where the bronze Trajan tablet was displayed; walk across the old paving.Center of the ancient town

  2. The basilicaRoman

    The great public building on the forum’s side, where justice and business were done.Beside the forum

  3. The bathsRoman, using thermal springs

    The town’s thermal baths, central to its development, in a setting that is otherwise very quiet.On the site

  4. The Tabula Alimentaria Traiana (casts)Bronze tablet found in 1747

    Casts of the tablet recording Trajan’s welfare scheme; the original is in Parma.Antiquarium

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €5
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
1 hr 30 min
Best time
Spring or early autumn; the forum's pavements are covered in winter
Getting there
Veleia sits in Lugagnano Val d'Arda, up the Chero valley from Piacenza along the SP14, with free parking at the site. Without a car, take the E42 bus from Piacenza to the Veleia Crocetta Bivio stop.
Accessibility
The site has slopes, steps and uneven ground. Call the ticket office in advance to discuss alternative routes.

Reduced €2 for ages 18 to 25; free under 18 and for Ministry of Culture categories. Groups of 10 to 30 adults pay €4 each. Guided visits are available by reservation. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Start in the Antiquarium so the casts of the Tabula make sense of what you then see outdoors, and wear sturdy shoes for the slopes.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at Veleia?

About an hour and a half. The site is open and compact, and the Antiquarium takes a short stop. You will probably have the forum almost to yourself.

Where is the original Tabula Alimentaria?

The bronze original, found in 1747, is kept in Parma. At Veleia the Antiquarium shows casts, together with jewelry, lamps and fragments from the town.

Can you see Veleia and Castell’Arquato in one day?

Yes, they are both in the hills of Piacenza province, so a morning among the Roman ruins and an afternoon in the medieval village works well. A car is the practical way to link them.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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