Jump to content
UNRV Ancient Roman Empire Forums
GhostOfClayton

What's the last Roman site you visited?

Recommended Posts

Last week, I visited the Roman Camp shown here:

 

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=292007&Y=215725&A=Y&Z=115

 

Unfortunately, there was nothing visible on the ground, but I then walked along the Roman Road 'Sarn Helen' south-west from the camp. Small patches of what appeared to be the original road surface where visible here and there, but did I have my camera with me? Did I heck!

 

There was also the quite interesting 'Maen Madoc' stone. I wasn't expecting it, but how marvellous it is when you just stumble across something like this.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maen_Madoc

 

693640_d3fb4df7.jpg

Edited by GhostOfClayton

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Will go this weekend to the Europ

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Probably the last place I visited was Caerwent. Absolutely amazing how much of the Roman walls are still standing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Torre Degli Embrici in Basilicata (a huge Roman villa), unless you count the Athenian Acropolis as a Roman site (which it is possible to do). By the way, you might be glad to hear that the propylon and temple of Nike are finally completely cleared of scaffoldings.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Torre Degli Embrici in Basilicata (a huge Roman villa), unless you count the Athenian Acropolis as a Roman site (which it is possible to do). By the way, you might be glad to hear that the propylon and temple of Nike are finally completely cleared of scaffoldings.

Yes I've seen the press release, that's a first in what, 20 years ? :) Now they just have to finish on the Parthenon itself (and yes I'd count the Acropolis as roman, seing that there is the temple of August and Rome...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Torre Degli Embrici in Basilicata (a huge Roman villa), unless you count the Athenian Acropolis as a Roman site (which it is possible to do). By the way, you might be glad to hear that the propylon and temple of Nike are finally completely cleared of scaffoldings.

Yes I've seen the press release, that's a first in what, 20 years ? :) Now they just have to finish on the Parthenon itself (and yes I'd count the Acropolis as roman, seing that there is the temple of August and Rome...

 

I'm afraid that finishing the Parthenon will take a while. I had the privilege to get a private tour with one of the architects there earlier this year and he estimated that it would take at least 50 years at this rate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It would be Ravena's roman remains that would get the title, with some early empire villa's mosaics underground and of course all the Byzantine remains. I'm currently planning for a visit to Rome in mid-november and use it as a pretext for 2 weeks in Etruria and/or Tuscany and Rome though...

 

Ravenna took my breath away. This is late antiquity in all it's splendor.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ravenna took my breath away. This is late antiquity in all it's splendor.

 

Yes, even if what remains is still, a bit empty : where are the incense, the songs, the tapestries, the rich clothes asks the mind while looking at those magnificient buildings and seeing bored tourists taking the picture where they are told to take them, looking just at what is shown by guides who often say things... that no historians wants to ear, etc.

I think I also need to do a Byzantine Greece tour one day...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ravenna took my breath away. This is late antiquity in all it's splendor.

 

I must admit that I was never very fond of Ravenna. Sure, it's one of the most beautiful and well organized Italians cities there are (and know that I, as a Scandinavian, very my appreciate that kind of stuff), but the place just didn't appeal to me. It might be that I was never much for the late antique stuff thou, and I remember being very bored by the Christian mosaics (I'm actually trying to find out for myself why I disliked it, as I'm typing).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've always thought of Ravenna as a great place to settle down when you're 70 or something.

Calm, laid back, melancholic place but very unpretentious.

Yet, if you know where to look, there are enough treasures around you to last you the rest of your life.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Its probably Hadrian's Wall for me, I come into contact with the Wall quite a lot due to my regular ventures to Scotland and back and when ever I've got a bit of spare time I'll make a little detour to the site of any remains and just have a little wander about for half hour or so.

 

It's good to get a little Roman fix to break up the day!!:)

 

I'm making an assumption that you've taken the opprtunity to stop off at Piercebridge on your way up/down. If not, wait for a sunny day, and do so. Some good excavations are on display.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Once again it has to be Hadrian's Wall for me. I absolutely love this monument no matter how small the volume of Wall is visible or how great. It was a magnificent piece of engineering taking just six years to 'complete' - imagine doing that these days? Not a chance!!

 

The last fort I visited with my good lady wife was Cilurnum (Chesters) although previously on the same day we visited Housesteads. They are both magnificent sites in their own right but one thing that disappointed me at both was the overgrown grass in the middle of each fort. It was deliberately allowed to grow and had 'walkways' through it to certain parts of fort. When I asked one of the staff at Housesteads the answer was one of an official stance in that it was to allow the wildlife back into the forts in terms of nesting birds and small rodents. What?!?!?!?

 

My stock answer to that was that there is a large open space around the whole Wall where this already happens so why inside a national treasure? The last repponse was 'that this is experimental'. Noooo waaayyyyy I wanted to say in a low dulcet tone but I held back... so my response was to say that money was being saved or that the grass cutter had broken down.

 

On a serious note this does nothing to bring the visitor in and only spoils what many visitors have been used to or been told to expect. The sooner it gets back to its normal look the better.

 

Apart from that oddity I say go visit at your earliest - you will not be disappointed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The very last Roman site that I visited was Herculaneum in April of this year. Of course on this latest trip I visited Pompeii, but to be honest, I found Herculaneum to be more interesting and mysterious. Ostia Antica still remains my favorite site due to the freedom one has in walking the grounds and contemplating life as a Roman some 2,000 years ago.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Map of the Roman Empire

×