No other Roman emperor travelled as much as Hadrian. He was famed for his endless journeys around the empire and we can say that Hadrian, with the exception of the years during which he remained in Rome (119-120, 126-127 and the final years of his reign), devoted at least half of his reign to the inspection… Continue reading My Hadrian 1900 project
Nestled in the middle of the Iglesiente mountains in the southwestern part of Sardinia, the ruins of the Punico-Roman Temple of Antas offer visitors a truly majestic sight. After lying abandoned for centuries, the temple was discovered in 1838 and extensively restored in 1967. Most impressively, the original Ionic columns were excavated and re-erected. The… Continue reading Photoset: The Punico-Roman Temple of Antas, Sardinia
Anyone interested in Roman Britain should have St Albans on their list of places to visit. I visited St Albans twice and enjoyed it on both occasions. A short train ride north of London, St Albans is a must-see. There are a few remains of the Roman town still visible (Verulamium), such as parts of… Continue reading Exploring Verulamium, the Roman city of St Albans (UK)
A stunning mosaic floor referred to as the "Bird Mosaic" was uncovered by accident in 1955 on the outskirts of Caeserea in Israel, outside the walls of the ancient settlement. With no budget available for its preservation, it was covered over again until the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Director of the Caesarea Antiquities Preservation… Continue reading The Byzantine “Bird Mosaic” from Caesarea, Israel
With thousands of archaeological sites, Jerusalem is one of the most excavated cities on the planet and to walk its streets is to walk through a thousand years of history. This ancient city has been fought over more than any other place. It has been conquered, destroyed and rebuilt many times and Hadrian played a… Continue reading Exploring Aelia Capitolina, Hadrian’s Jerusalem
Two weeks ago I returned to Madrid to visit the new Archaeological Museum. Spain's National Archaeological Museum reopened to the public six months ago after a massive six-year revamp that aimed at offering a state-of-the-art space for its collection of ancient artefacts. A total of 13,000 objects are on display in 40 rooms in a… Continue reading Roman mosaics from the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid
"Pontem perpetui mansurum in saecula mundi" (I have built a bridge which will last forever)" -Caius Julius Lacer, builder of the Alcántara Bridge Ancient Roman bridges represent one of the greatest wonders of the Ancient World. They are an exceptional feat of Roman construction and I hold a certain fascination for these impressive ancient structures. Naturally… Continue reading Looking for Roman bridges in Provence, France
Following my visit to Minturnae (see previous post here), I continued my journey north along the Appian Way to reach Terracina, a picturesque town on the Tyrrhenian coast situated approximately half-way between Rome and Naples. Legend has it that Odysseus sailed here on his travels and surrendered to Circe's enchantment. Circe is said to have… Continue reading A journey to Terracina on the Riviera of Ulysses
On a recent trip to Italy, I visited the Archaeological Area of Minturnae, a little-known but impressive archaeological site along the Appian Way. Minturnae was originally an Auruncian city (of which no archaeological traces have been found), one of the three towns of the Aurunci which allied themselves with the Samnites and made war against… Continue reading Exploring Minturnae, a forgotten ancient city on the Appian Way
"Off all the temples in the Peloponnese this one could be considered second only to the temple at Tegea for its proportions and the beauty of its stone". Pausanias, "Description of Greece", Book VIII, 41, 8 The Temple of Apollo Epikourios ('Apollo the Helper') was built in a quiet and isolated site, high on a… Continue reading Photoset: The Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae (Greece), the so-called “Parthenon of the Peloponnese”
