2017 was a very special year for me as the year marked the 1900th anniversary of the accession of Hadrian to the imperial throne and the start of my Hadrian 1900 project. I travelled to 9 countries, visited 57 new archaeological sites, 21 new archaeological museums and attended 4 exhibitions. Here’s an overview of my… Continue reading My 2017 travel round-up
On a recent trip to Southern Spain, I travelled along the Roman Baetica Route and visited many of the archaeological sites and museums that Andalusia has to offer. Among the plethora of ancient treasures to be found in the region, I was particularly impressed by the incredible mosaics I came across. The Roman Baetica Route… Continue reading A guide to the mosaics along the Roman Baetica Route (Spain)
The Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. In addition to Renaissance masterpieces including works from Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the Uffizi houses one of the world’s most important collections of ancient Roman and Greek statues. The Medicis' interest in ancient art started… Continue reading The Nerva-Antonines in Florence
The Temple of Hadrian at Ephesus is regarded as one of the most famous monuments of the ancient city of Ephesus. It lies on the south side of Curates Street, one of Ephesus' main arteries connecting the Gate of Hercules with the Library of Celsus. The remains of the Temple were unearthed in 1956 during… Continue reading The Temple of Hadrian at Ephesus, Ionia (Turkey)
The beautiful ancient Greek city of Aphrodisias, still partly excavated, is one of Turkey's most important archaeological sites of the late Hellenistic and Roman periods. The city was located in Caria in Asia Minor, on a plateau 600 meters above sea level. Today, it lies near Geyre village, some 80 kilometres west of Denizli. ---… Continue reading The Hadrianic Baths at Aphrodisias, Caria (Turkey)
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)
Last weekend I travelled to Toulouse to visit the fabulous exhibition on Roman frescoes being held at the Musée Saint-Raymond. The exhibition, entitled 'L'Empire de la couleur - De Pompéi au sud des Gaules' ('Empire of colour - From Pompeii to Southern Gaul'), opened last November and runs through March 2015. The majority of Roman… Continue reading Roman frescoes on show in Toulouse (France)
An over life-size Parian marble statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede can be admired at the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight on the Wirral (near Liverpool, UK). Rediscovered in the late 18th century during a revival of interest for the Classical World, the statue of Antinous was purchased in Italy in 1796 by Thomas… Continue reading Statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight (UK)
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
