ITALY:Italian archaeologists believe they have found the cave where, according to legend, a she-wolf nursed Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of Rome. An underground cavity decorated with seashells, coloured marble mosaics and pumice stones was discovered near the ruins of the palace of Emperor Augustus on the Palatine hill.
Experts say they are "reasonably certain" it is the long-lost place of worship sacred to ancient Romans and known as Lupercale, from the Latin word "lupus" for wolf.
"This could reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome, one of the most well-known in the world, the legendary cave where the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus," culture minister Francesco Rutelli said yesterday.
The cave was found 16m (52ft) underground in a previously unexplored area during restoration work on the palace of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
According to Roman legend, Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god Mars, were abandoned in a cradle by the banks of the river Tiber where a wolf found them and fed them with her milk.
The brothers are said to have founded Rome at the site on April 21st, 753BC and ended up fighting over who should be in charge. Romulus killed Remus and became the first king of Rome.
Andrea Carandini, an archaeologist specialising in ancient Rome, said he was stunned by the find and called it "one of the most significant discoveries ever made".