Martigny

Martigny is a city and capital of the district of Martigny in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland.
It has an elevation of 1,545 ft (471m) and is on the road to the Great St. Bernard Pass.

History

It was occupied by the Romans in 57 BCE, who named it Octodurum and included it in the Roman Province of Alpes Poenninae.
A Roman Road connected Martigny to Aosta in Italy via the Roman Great St. Bernard Pass.

Church of our Lady of the Visitation, Martigny

Roman Sites

Amphitheatre
Temples
Thermal Baths

Domus of the Household Genius, Martigny

Museums

Musee Gallo Romaine
- The museum is located within the Fondation Pierre Gianadda Museum.
- Musee Gallo Romaine

Fondation Pierre Gianadda Museum, Martigny

Roman Roads

Via of the Alpes Poenniae:
- Milan–Aosta–Roman Great St. Bernard Pass–Bourg Saint Pierre–Martigny–Lyon

Roman Amphitheatre, Martigny

Bourton-on-the-Water

Bourton-on-the-Water is a village located on the river Windrush in the County of Gloucedstershire in the South West Region of England.
It was a Roman settlement on the junction of the Fosse Way with Icknield Street.

Roman Roads

Icknield Street
- Bourton-on-the-Water-Alcester–Templeborough
Fosse Way
- Exeter-Bourton-on-the-Water-Lincoln

Bourton-on-the-Water

Izmit

Izmit is a port city located on the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara, and is the capital of the Kocaeli Pronce in northwestern Turkey. It was known in Classical Antiquity as Nicomedia.
It became part of the Roman empire in 74 BCE and was the capital of the Province of Bithynia.

History

It was an important City located opposite nearby Byzantium, on a crossroads of Trade Routes between East and West.
Nicomedia briefly became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire between 283-330 CE under the Reforms by Diocletian.
Constantine I continued to use Nicomedia as the Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire between 324-330 CE, until Byzantium was ready to become the new capital.

Roman Sites

Diocletian's Palace at Nicomedia
- Very little remains to be seen of the Palace.

Museums

Kocaeli Museum
- The Museum is also known as the Kocaeli Archeology and Ethnography Museum or the Izmit Museum.
- It is located at Demiryolu Caddedi, Kemalpasa, Kocaeli.
- The museum holds Finds from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods.

Roman Roads

Northern coastal road
- Chalcedon–Byzantium–Nicomedia-Heraclea-Sinope-Trabzon
A central road
- Chalcedon–Nicomedia–NIcaea–Ankara-then onto the frontier Fortresses in the East.

Nicomedia (Izmit), Turkey

Knossos

Knossos (1900-1400 BCE) was the major city of the Minoan Civilisation (2700-1420 BCE) and its Royal Palace was the largest. It was abandoned between 1380-1100 BCE.
The Ruins are located 3 miles (5 km) east of Heraklion in Crete. Historians are undecided whether Knossos was the capital city of Crete or whether the major cities were all independent. Knossos had no defensive walls, nor was there a weapons arsenal.

Other Minoan Sites

There are other Minoan City and Palace Sites in Malia, Phaistos and Zakros.

Knossos Palace

Aosta

Aosta is a cathedral city in Italy located near to the entrance to the Mont Blanc Tunnel leading into France.
It is in the Aosta Valley Region of Italy.

Dora Baltea River, Aosta, Italy

History

The Romans conquered the Salassi in 25 BCE and renamed their city Augusta Praetoria Salassorum and in 11 BCE they made it the capital of the Province of Alpes Poenninae on the alpine frontier of Italia.
The Fortress guarded the Roman Road to the Great St. Bernard Pass, which lies 11 miles (18km) to the northwest.
3,000 veteran legionaries were settled in Aosta.

Medieval Tower, Aosta, Italy

Roman Sites

The Roman Walls
- The walls are completely preserved. They are 21 ft (6.4m) high and 9 ft (2.7m) thick at the base.
- It had 20 Towers, 6 of which are still intact.
- It had 4 Gates, 2 of which are intact.

Roman Walls of Aosta, Italy

The Porta Praetoria
- The Eastern Gate is intact, as is also the South Gate.

Porta Praetoria, Ostia, Italy

Amphitheatre
- In the Monastery of San Catarina,
Theatre
- Seating up to 4,000 spectators (c. 10 CE)
Triumphal Arch of Augustus
Cemetery
Baths
Insulae
Roman Towers

Tour du Pailleron, Aosta, Italy

Roman Bridges
- Pont de Pierre, over the Buthier river at Aosta.
- Pont d’Ael, 5 miles (8km) west of Aosta.

Ponte Romano, Aosta, Italy

Museums

Aosta Archeological Museum
- Aosta Archaelogical Museum

Archeological Museum, Aosta, italy

Roman Roads

Via of the Alpes Poenniae:
- Milan–Aosta–Roman Great St. Bernard Pass–Bourg Saint Pierre–Martigny–Lyon
- The city was clearly built to defend the main road which was 39 ft (10m) wide and ran straight through the city from east to west.

Aosta

Bowness-on-Solway

Bowness on Solway is a coastal village in the County Cumbria, located on the south bank of the Solway Firth Estuary between England and Scotland.
It was the location of a Roman Fort called Mais which marked the western end of Hadrian's Wall. No visible Remains of the Fort exist today.

Roman Roads

Military Way
- Bowness-on-Solway-Chesters–Wallsend

Bowness-on-Solway

Nijmegen

Nijmegen is a city on the river Waal in the Province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.
It was the Oppidum Batavorum and became the Roman town of Noviomagus which was located in the Roman Province of Germania Inferior.

History

In the 1st century CE, the Romans built a Fort to guard the Waal and Rhine valleys during the 1st century BCE. The Oppidum Batavorum grew up beside the fort.
In 69 CE the Oppidum Batavorum was destroyed during the Batavian Revolt.
In 71 CE the Legio X Gemina was stationed there.
In 98 CE the town became a Municipium.
103 CE the Legio X Gemina was moved to Vienna.
104 CE Trajan renamed the town Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum.

River Waal, Nijmegen

The Smetius Collection

This was a Collection of 10,000 Roman Coins and 4,500 Artefacts collected by Johannes Smetius and his son Johannes Smetius Junior. They published their Collection in two Catalogues, one in 1644 and another 1678.
The whole Collection is now dispersed and lost.

Museums

Valkhof Museum
- Located at Kelfkensbos 59, Nijmegen, the museum holds Artefacts from the Roman period.
Victory Monument to Tiberius in the museum.
- This is the remnant of a column which holds reliefs depicting Roman Gods and a Roman in a Toga performing a sacrifice to Tiberius.

Valkhof Museum, Nijmegen

Old Sarum

Old Sarum is a double walled Iron Age Fortress built around 500 BCE although the site has been occupied since 3,000 BCE.
It is located next to the River Avon, 2 miles (3km) north of Salisbury in Wiltshire.

History

The Romans built a Hill Fort here called Sorviodunum on a crossroads of two Roman roads.
In 1086 CE William the Conqueror invited all the Chieftains and Nobles to come to Old Sarum and recognise him as the new King of England.
The first Salisbury Cathedral was completed on this site in 1092 BCE, followed by a Royal Palace and a small town.
In 1220 CE the Cathedral and town were moved down to the Banks of the River Avon.
Salisbury Cathedral holds a model of medieval Old Sarum showing the town and cathedral inside the walls.
‘Rotten Borough’: Until the 1832 Reform Act, Old Sarum was a ‘Rotten Borough’ that continued to have Parliamentary Representation even though nobody lived there.

Roman Roads

Portway
- London-Silchester-Old Sarum- Dorchester
Roman Road
- Old Sarum-Poole
Iter XV
- It is listed in this route of the Antonine Itinerary
- Silchester-Old Sarum-Exeter
Iter XII
- For some reason part of Iter XV is repeated in this Iter XII.

Nearby Monuments

Old Sarum, Wiltshire

Chaves

Chaves is a town on the river Tamega in northern Portugal 6 miles (10km) from the Spanish Frontier.
It was known to the Romans as the spa town of Aquae Flaviae whose Baths were fed by hot springs. The town was located in a mining area in the Province of Hispania Tarraconensis.

Roman Sites

Trajan’s Bridge (c.100 CE)
- The Bridge carried the Roman Road from Leon to Braga.
Commemorative Column of the Peoples
- The column was erected on the bridge in 104 CE and holds a dedication to Vespasian and Titus.
Roman Baths of Chaves
- Currently housed in a Museum that is under construction.

Museums

Museo da Regiao Flaviense
- The Archeological Museum holds artefacts from the Roman period.
Museo das Termas Romanas de Chaves
- The Museum houses the Roman Baths of Aquae Flaviae.

Roman Roads

Leon-Chaves-Braga

Trajan’s Bridge, Chaves

Susa

Susa is a town in Italy located on the confluence of the rivers Cenischia and Dora Riparia, 31 miles (51km) west of Turin in the Piedmont Region of northwestern Italy.

History

It was a Roman Fortress called Segusio and was the Capital of the Province of Alpes Cottiae on the frontier with Italia.
Previously, it had been a Client Kingdom known as the ‘Gateway to Italy’ until it was annexed by Rome in 63 CE.