"Marmo di Cottanello" (Sabina, Italy): quarry survey and data on its distribution

In recent years, within the framework of the investigation of a roman villa located in the territory of Cottanello (Rieti, Italy), the University of Rome La Sapienza has carried out a research on the so-called "Marmo di Cottanello", a limestone obtained from a local quarry from the modern age to the XX century. The presence of this stone in the ancient villa has raised questions regarding its usage during the antiquity and particularly on the area and the time span of its distribution. The study has been conducted by means of several approaches: - the plotting of the quarry area and of the architectural elements in stone which are present in the Roman villa; - the bibliographical research and the visits to the places where the history of studies attests the use of the "Marmo di Cottanello"; - the analysis of samples taken from the villa and the quarry. The use of this stone, which appears almost limited, has been put within a historical-economical context that permits interpretations about its exploitation and diffusion.