Amphora Workshop of Fasana

Lore & Background

The workshop was located in the old center of Fasana, a town whose name derives from local vase production. It started producing tiles and ceramics in the latter part of Augustus's reign. The amphorae stored Istrian exports including olive oil and wine, the latter produced in Fasana's hinterland. Olive oil and wine were the most important Istrian products in Roman times.

Reader's Guide

The Amphora Workshop of Fasana played a key role in the Roman economy by producing containers for Istrian exports. Its amphorae, notably the Dressel 6B and Lamboglia 2 types, carried olive oil and wine to the Danubian basin (modern Austria, Hungary, Slovenia) and westward along the Po River to Turin and Vercelli, as well as to Rome and other parts of the empire. The workshop's ownership history reflects broader Roman patterns: initially held by the local Lecanii family from shortly after 50 BC, it passed to the emperor Vespasian in 78 AD after the death of Gaius Laecanius Bassus without heirs. The signatures of workers—such as Amethysti, Crescentis, Viatoris, and Opi—stamped on the amphorae provide rare evidence of individual laborers in a Roman factory. Production continued until the second century AD, marking the workshop's longevity and importance in regional trade.

Did You Know?

• The town of Fasana derives its name from the local production of vases.
• The workshop's amphorae were used to export Istrian olive oil and wine.
• The workshop eventually came under imperial control, but the exact date and circumstances of the transfer from the Lecanii family are uncertain.
• Workers' signatures such as Amethysti and Crescentis appear on the amphorae produced here.