ARE YOU READY FOR A ROMAN ZARAGOZA?

Below the streets and many homes of Zaragoza are ruins of a Roman colony known as CaesarAugustus, founded by the Roman's at the very end of the 1st century BC.

Caesaraugusta was founded as a non taxpaying colony by the Emperor Caesar Augustus in the year 24 b.c. and was inhabited by Roman citizens. The colony was built on the banks of the River Ebro next to the old Iberian city of Salduie. Its format was established by choosing what was to be the centre of the future city and marking the two main streets oriented towards the four points of the compass. Numerous archeological remains have been found in this area which is called the Caesaraugusta route, many of which can be visited or are in museums. These archeological spaces are the Forum, the nerve centre of the former city; the River Port, the commercial centre; the public baths, the leisure centre and the theatre which provided culture and entertainment.

The philosophy behind the setting up of this route was that it should be theme based with museum back up focusing on the uses of each of the buildings. The exhibitions have been organized with the aim of interpreting archeological remains preserved in their original sites, where visitors are given the key information necessary to understand their History. Messages are clear, entertaining and educational and are transmitted via such technological tools as audiovisual multi media, models, audio guided tours which help to motivate visitors to learn.

The route also includes the remains of the Roman Walls dating from the third century a.d.. Caesaraugusta , like other Roman cities, was surrounded by a ring of walls serving both to defend the city as well as act as a monument symbolising its strength and prestige. Remains of the walls have been found under various streets in Zaragoza although they are only visible in the Santo Sepulcro convent and next to the Torreon de Zuda. Here there is now also a statue of the emperor Augusto which is a bronze copy of the famous Prima Porta Augusto given to the city by Mussolini’s government in the 1940s. The city walls formed an effective defence during the Visigoth and muslim period.

The Forum museum offers a vision of everyday life in the very centre of the city during the first century of the city’s existence. The archeological remains housed there belong to a market from the time of the emperor Caesar Augusto and the roman forum built at the time of Tiberius, his successor.

The River Port museum houses the structure of a large building which formed the northeast limit of the Forum and provided access to the river Ebro and the port. The river was navigable in Roman times and a very busy centre of commerce.

The public springs, built between the first century b.c. and the beginning of the fourth century a.d., were in the centre of Caesaraugusta, between the Forum and the theatre. The springs were not only baths but also served as a meeting place for various transactions. Among the facilities discovered on this site are some latrines which were subsequently pulled down to make way for a large porched open air swimming pool. Near the baths was the Palestra or gymnasium.

Finally, there is the recently uncovered roman theatre, built in the first century a.d. during the time of the emperor Tiberius. It was one of the biggest theatres in roman Spain, with 7,000m2 and a capacity of 6,000 spectators. During the 200 years that the theatre was open it served as a place for meeting, entertainment and social life for the city and the surrounding area. It also played an important part in the communication of the cultural, political and religious values of the Roman Empire. A museum has been built next to the archeological remains of the theatre in which the latest technology is used to bring the history of the theatre, its dramatic works, social and political life closer to the visitor.

Perhaps the most spectacular Roman ruin to visit is Zaragoza's Roman Forum, located in the Pilar Plaza, under the La Seo Cathedral .

	Above photo - The entrance to the underground Roman remains of the CeaesarAugusta 'Museum'. The ruins and exhibits in the Caesaraugusta Museum gives the visitor a look in the life of a Roman city just prior to the birth of Christ.
Photo above - Zaragoza's Roman theater is located not far from the Caesaraugusta Museum. Not far from the CaesarAugusta Museum (Calle San Juan y San Pedro, 3-7) you can find the Roman theater, now protected from the elements by a glass canopy. Scattered about the city can be found remnants of the wall that once encircled the Roman city.