Excavations of this nature often begin here. Describe the item briefly and add a photo of it in your ad. During the 17th century, Rodrigo Caro wrote a poem titled "To the Remnants of Italica", describing a Roman settlement close to where Seville, Spain, is now. We now know a great deal about the past of Italica and the reasons the Roman army established a colony there due to the excavations conducted on the old city in the years that followed. When on vacation with the family in Seville, this is a fantastic method to pique your child's interest in archaeology.
Ancient Roman ruins in Spain are not uncommon: once the Roman Empire occupied part of the country's territory. In the III century BC. e. by order of the commander Scipio Africanus, a settlement was built for the wounded Roman soldiers near the modern city of Santiponce. Over time, the number of inhabitants of the colony increased to 8000 people; the city was named Colonia Aelia Augusta Italica and acquired buildings typical of large territories. For example, the theatre, the ruins of which can be seen during the tour, accommodated 25 thousand of spectators. In the centre of his arena, there was even a pit for naumachia - gladiator fights on the water, imitating a sea battle.
The buildings were practically not preserved, but archaeologists found floor mosaics of temples (some can now be seen in the palace of the Countess de Lebriha in Seville). In some places, the foundations of houses that, according to archaeologists, belonged to the local nobility have been preserved. Mosaic drawings or other surviving decorative elements are now used to designate excavated buildings: the house of Neptune, the place of the peristyle, the home of birds, and the house of the exedra. And the streets are visible - wide, intersecting at right angles.
Two of the "five excellent emperors" were born in what is now known as Roman Italica, adding to its renown. Trajan and Adrian, two inhabitants of the area who became emperors, enlarged the borders of the Roman Empire and instituted sweeping political and social changes.
Many people think the Romans left Italy sometime in the third century CE. The former Roman colony became the residence of the Visigoths as a result. Their soldiers built a fortress to fend against the Byzantines. However, since the arrival of Muslim domination in Andalusia, the city has been abandoned and is in ruins.
The excavation sites at the Ruins of Italica are messier now than in the past. To create a more classic park atmosphere, the geometry of the old buildings here mimics the surrounding grass and trees. This sort of farming might bring new life to a city that has been dormant for decades. However, remember that vegetation does not provide much shade. Thus sun protection measures such as sunscreen and hats are still required.
Colonia Italica near Seville is not Spain's only open-air museum of antiquities. For example, you can see the ruins of Romanesque buildings near Tarragona, and some archaeological finds from those places migrated to the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona.
Ruins of the ancient Roman city of Italica (Seville) - Dragon's Lair
The ancient Roman city of Italica, founded between the 1st century BC. and the 1st century AD, was located north of the modern town of Santiponce (Seville). Scenes were filmed here in the Dragon's Lair, wherein in the 10th episode of the 7th season, the key characters of the series (Cersei, Daenerys, Jon Snow, Jaime, Clegane, Greyjoy, etc.) met to decide how to overcome the enemy that threatens the seven kingdoms - white walkers.
Book now: From Seville: Italica Roman City & Medieval Monastery Tour
