Via Mario Tacca, 10050 Borgone Susa
In the municipality of Borgone di Susa, about 40 km from Turin and halfway between the statio ad Fines of Malano di Avigliana and Segusio-Susa, in a wooded area on a rocky spur made of gneiss at the foot of a mountainous massif that closes on the N side the narrow valley traversed by the Dora Riparia, lies the monument locally known as "the Mohammed." The toponym, which distinguishes the entire region and the nearby river, seems to derive precisely from the particular nature of the work, a rock shrine with an internal depiction of a figure with open arms that popular tradition has identified as Mohammed.
It is a shrine carved in bas-relief on the rock wall within which is depicted a male figure, dressed in a short tunic and a cloak, with both arms raised upwards and holding two objects of not easy identification, placed on a parallelepiped base; below, to the right of the character, is an animal figure identifiable as a dog. This element represents an attribute of a specific deity of the Roman pantheon: the god Silvanus, an identification confirmed by the two attributes that the male figure holds in hand and that should be interpreted as a sickle and a frond. Also interesting, although difficult to read due to poor preservation, is the inscription present on the tympanum that seems to be interpreted as a dedication to the deity by a certain Lucius Vettius Avitus.
The monument, dating back to the 2nd century AD, would identify an ancient place of worship of Silvanus, connected to the protective function of the god in an area where, in addition to silvopastoral activities, quarrying and mining activities are documented.
