Juvanum

Juvanum (Iuvanum) was a chief city of the Caraceni Samnites, located on a plateau at about 1,000 m elevation near Montenerodomo in Chieti province, Abruzzo. Originally a fortified hilltop settlement from the 4th century BCE with substantial defensive walls of local Majella stone, it was granted municipium status in 87 BCE after the Social War. Roman-era structures include a paved forum with tabernae built under Emperor Claudius, a marble-floored basilica, and temples with inscriptions referencing Diana, Minerva, and Hercules. A notable find is a marble Alexandrine-style sculpture of Io, now in Naples' National Museum. The site operates as an open-air archaeological park.