Italica

Itálica

Spain · Andalucía, Sevilla

Ancient cityUnknown
Approximate periodRoman Republican and Imperial periodsRoman Republican and Imperial periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Founded in 206 BC, Italica was the first Roman city on the Iberian Peninsula. Much of the excavated area open to visitors contains public buildings and residences from the expansion under Hadrian.

What was found?

  • 1Amphitheater

    It is one of the large public buildings of the city's expansion during the reign of Hadrianus. It reveals the monumental scale of architecture for spectacles in this provincial city.

  • 2Traianeum

    It is a monumental temple complex within a colonnaded square. According to researchers, it was devoted to the cult of Traianus and formed the ideological focus of the new urban layout.

  • 3Large courtyard houses

    These are private houses with colonnaded courtyards and rich decoration. They show the living conditions of local elites and the use of architectural models from the Roman world.

  • 4Roman theater

    The remains of the theater, built during the Augustus–Tiberius period, lie in the city's older southern section. They document public life before the expansion under Hadrianus.

What does it point to?

İtalica's large buildings show how connections with the imperial family could change the appearance of a provincial city. The combination of monumental public spaces and elaborate residences points to imperial support and the influence of local elites.

What did it teach us?

  1. The expansion under Hadrianus created a new city district with regular streets and large public buildings.
  2. According to researchers, the imperial cult was an important part of the new city plan.
  3. During the Late Roman period, as the population shifted south, the expansion area from the reign of Hadrianus was largely abandoned.

Images

Anfiteatro de las ruinas romanas de Itálica, Santiponce, Sevilla, España, 2015-12-06, DD 3
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Asentamientos, ruinas romanas de Itálica, Santiponce, Sevilla, España, 2015-12-06, DD 19
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Roman
Coordinates
37.4439°, -6.0467°

Sources

  1. en.wikipedia.org
  2. man.es
  3. museosdeandalucia.es
  4. UNESCO Dünya Mirası Merkezi — İspanya'nın İtalica Geçici Liste dosyası
  5. Endülüs Bölge Yönetimi — İtalica Arkeoloji Kompleksi

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12.000

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