Pòrcia Serana: A Widow and Landowner in Roman Rubí

A 1st-century tombstone found in Ca n'Oriol sheds light on female property rights and wine production.

Generic image of a Roman marble funerary tombstone with Latin inscriptions.
IA

Generic image of a Roman marble funerary tombstone with Latin inscriptions.

A marble funerary slab discovered in Ca n'Oriol, Rubí, provides a rare glimpse into the life of Pòrcia Serana and the social structure of 1st-century Laietania.

The monument was dedicated by Pòrcia Serana to her son, Lucius Porcius Nepos, who passed away at the age of 27. The original artifact is currently held at the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, with a reproduction available at the Rubí Museum.

"Lucius Porcius Nepos lies here, aged 27. Pòrcia Serana, daughter of Lucius, his mother."

Roman inscription · Epitaph
Research suggests that Pòrcia Serana was likely of indigenous Iberian descent. As a widow in the Roman world, she would have inherited her husband's estate, including the lands at Ca n'Oriol, becoming a significant local landowner.
The Porcius family was deeply involved in the wine industry. During this era, the Laietania region was a major hub for viticulture, exporting wine across the western territories of the Roman Empire.