Lupercal

The Lupercal was a cave at the foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome, traditionally identified as the place where Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf (lupa). The name "Lupercal" is likely derived from "lupus" (Latin for "wolf").

The Lupercal was the central point of the Lupercalia, an ancient Roman pastoral festival observed annually on February 15, dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of the forest, fields, and flocks. The festival was intended to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility.

During the Lupercalia, priests known as Luperci, clad only in goatskin thongs, would sacrifice goats and a dog at the Lupercal. They would then run around the Palatine Hill, striking people, especially women, with strips of the sacrificed animals' hides. It was believed that this ritual would ensure fertility in women and purification for all.

The Lupercalia was outlawed by Pope Gelasius I in 494 AD, who replaced it with the Feast of the Purification of Mary. In 2007, Italian archaeologists announced that they had likely found the Lupercal cave deep inside the Palatine Hill.