Baelo Claudia facts for kids
The ruins lie along the beach
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 Location in Province of Cádiz
Location in Andalusia
Location in Spain
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| Location | Bolonia, Province of Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain |
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| Coordinates | 36°05′23″N 05°46′29″W / 36.08972°N 5.77472°W |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | End of the 2nd century BC |
| Abandoned | 6th century AD |
Baelo Claudia was an ancient Roman town in Hispania (which is now Spain). It is located about 22 kilometers (14 miles) from Tarifa, near the village of Bolonia, in southern Spain.
This town sits right on the coast, by the Strait of Gibraltar. It started as a fishing village and a trading spot about 2,000 years ago. Baelo Claudia became very successful during the time of Emperor Claudius. However, it started to decline, especially after earthquakes. By the 6th century AD, the town was completely abandoned.
Studying the old buildings shows that Baelo Claudia was a Roman town from the late 2nd century BC. Even back then, it was a very rich and important place for trade in the Mediterranean Sea area.
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History of Baelo Claudia
Baelo Claudia is on the northern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. The town was built in the late 2nd century BC. It grew because of trade with North Africa, especially with Tangier (in what was then Mauretania Tingitana).
While Baelo Claudia might have helped with some government tasks, its main source of wealth came from fishing. They caught a lot of tuna, then salted it to preserve it. They also made a special fish sauce called garum. This sauce was very popular in Roman times.
The city became so successful that Emperor Claudius gave it the title of municipium. This meant it had special rights, like being able to govern itself.
Life in the Roman Town
Life for the people of Baelo Claudia was best during the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. But in the middle of the 2nd century, the town started to decline. This was probably because a big earthquake destroyed much of it.
Besides natural disasters, the town also faced attacks from pirates in the 3rd century. These pirates came from both Germanic tribes and North Africa. The town had a small comeback later in the century. However, by the 6th century, everyone had left, and the town was abandoned.
Discovering the Ruins
Archaeologists have dug up the ruins of Baelo Claudia. They found the most complete remains of a Roman town in all of Spain. There are many interesting buildings, like a basilica (a public hall), a theater, a market, and even a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis.
The site is in a beautiful area called El Estrecho Natural Park. From here, you can even see the coast of Morocco across the water. There is a modern visitor center at the site. It has many ancient objects found there and explains the history of the town. The center also has parking, restrooms, a shop, and great views of the sea. If you are a citizen of the European Economic Area, you can visit for free with an ID.
The Archaeological Site
The way the city was planned shows two main Roman roads. The decumanus maximus ran from east to west. At its ends were the city gates. The cardo maximus crossed it at a right angle, going north to south.
Where these two main streets met was the Forum, or main public square. The stone slabs on the ground there are the original ones from the 1st century. Around the Forum were the most important public buildings. This square had covered walkways on three sides. From one side, you could enter three temples: the emperor's temple, the curia (senate house), and another meeting room.
The biggest building at the back of the Forum was the basilica. This was used for many things, especially as a courthouse. On the left side of the Forum were small stone buildings called tabernae, which were shops.
Key Buildings and Features
The archaeological site has many important parts of a Roman town that are still preserved:
- Stone walls: These walls had more than forty watchtowers. You can still see the main city gates. One gate led to Gades (to the west), and another led to Carteia (near San Roque) to the east. There was also a third gate to the north, called Puerta de Asido.
- Administrative buildings: These included the curia (where the local senate met) and the city's official records office.
- Public square: The forum was the main gathering place.
- Courthouse: The judicial basilica was in the forum, in front of the temples. It was a large rectangular building, about 19.5 by 35.5 meters (64 by 116 feet). It had a statue of Emperor Trajan that was over 3 meters (10 feet) tall.
- Temples: There were four temples. Three of them were for the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Finding three temples like this in one place is very rare. There was also an Iseum, which was a temple for the Egyptian goddess Isis.
- Theater: The largest building in Baelo Claudia was the theater. It could hold up to 2,000 people! In Roman times, all the actors were men, even for women's roles. They wore masks to show different characters.
- Shops and market: You can see the remains of tabernae (shops) and the macellum (market). The market was an enclosed area for selling meat and other food, with 14 shops and a central courtyard.
- Bath houses: The thermae were public bath houses.
Four aqueducts brought water to the city. You can also see parts of the industrial area, like the facilities where they made garum (fish sauce). There are also old streets, aqueducts, and parts of the sewer system. It's rare to find so many different parts of a Roman city preserved in one place in Spain as you can in Baelo Claudia. The amazing landscape around the city makes it even more special.
Since 1925, Baelo Claudia has been recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Property of Cultural Interest). This means it's a very important historical site. Since 2007, there has been a museum at the site.
Gallery
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Termae
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Ruins of a factory for salted fish and garum (fish sauce)
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The Basilica
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The Roman theater, which has been partially restored
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The Aqueduct
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The Current Site
The archaeological site is next to a popular tourist area. This means it's becoming a great place for cultural tourism. It's easy to get to the site, and visits are usually free. However, visitors from outside the European Economic Area might need to pay a small fee.
The local government of Andalusia has built a new visitor center. The University of Cádiz also studies the site. Their work leads to new discoveries, like finding a copy of the famous Doryphoros of Polykleitos statue, which is the only one found in Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Baelo Claudia para niños
