House of Horace

Quintus Horatius Flaccus — Horace — was born in Venosa on 8 December 65 BC, the son of a freedman who sent him to study in Rome and then in Athens. He is the poet of carpe diem, and Venosa is his town.

The remains that tradition identifies as his birthplace date from the 1st century AD: they are the bath rooms of a patrician house, with a round hall — the caldarium, or hot room — and a rectangular room next to it. Stretches of Roman brickwork can still be seen on the façade. The link with the poet is not historical, but it is old and deeply rooted in the town’s memory.

Visiting tips

• The remains can be seen from the street, on the way between the castle and the cathedral.
• Horace is everywhere in town: his statue stands in Piazza Orazio Flacco, a few steps from the castle.