Urbs Salvia

URBS SALVIA (Οὔρβα Σαλουΐα, Ptol. 3.1.52: Eth. Urbis Salviensis or Urbisalviensis: Urbisaglia), a town of Picenum, mentioned by Pliny among the municipal towns of that district. (Plin. Nat. 3.13. s. 18.) It was situated on a hill above the valley of the Flusor (Chienti), about 2 miles from the right bank of that river, and 7 miles E. of Tolentinum. The testimony of Pliny to its municipal rank is confirmed by the Liber Coloniarum, which mentions the ager Urbis Salviensis,a s well as by an inscription (Lib. Col. p. 226; Orell. Inscr. 1870); and it seems to have been a flourishing town until it was taken and destroyed by Alaric, a calamity from which it never recovered, so that it still lay in ruins in the time of Procopius. (Procop. B. G. 2.16.) Dante also notices it in the 13th century as in complete ruins (Par. 16.73); but the name has always survived, and is still attached to the modern Urbisaglia, which is, however, a mere village, dependent on Macerata. The Itineraries give two lines of crossroads which passed through Urbs Salvia, the one from Septempeda (S. Severino) to Firmum (Fermo), the other from Auximum through Ricina and Urbs Salvia to Asculum. (Itin. Ant. p. 316; Tab. Peut. )