Cáparra facts for kids
|
Municipium Flavium Caparensis
|
|
View of the quadrifrons gate which was the entrance to Capara's forum
|
|
| Location | near Guijo de Granadilla and Oliva de Plasencia (Spain) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ciudad |
| History | |
| Founded | 1st century. Municipium from 74. |
| Abandoned | 9th century |
| Periods | Roman empire |
| Associated with | Initially Vettones; from 74 Latin and Roman citizens. |
| Site notes | |
| Bien de interés cultural RI-55-0000016 catalogued as an Archaeological Zone and protected since 3 June 1931 | |
Cáparra was an ancient Roman city located in the north of Extremadura, a region in Spain. It was built in the valley of the River Alagón. During the time of the Roman Empire, Cáparra was part of the province called Lusitania. Its main city was Colonia Augusta Emerita, which is now Mérida.
Cáparra was an important stop along a famous Roman road known as the Vía de la Plata. This road connected many cities and was used for travel and trade. Today, Cáparra is an abandoned archaeological site. Some people believe it was a city even before the Romans, but this idea is not fully proven. The city's flat location was not ideal for defense, which was important for pre-Roman towns.
The City of Cáparra
The walled part of Cáparra covered about 15 to 16 hectares. However, many houses were found outside the walls, especially to the northwest. This means the actual settled area was much larger than the walled city. Cáparra was not as big or famous as some other Roman cities in the Iberian peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal). Still, it was one of the main towns between the Tagus river and the Sierra de Gredos mountains. Other important towns in this area included Caurium (Coria), Augustobriga (Talavera la Vieja), and Egitania (Idanha-a-Velha).
City Layout
The city of Cáparra was planned in a very organized way. It had a grid pattern, like a checkerboard. The Vía de la Plata, the main Roman road, ran right through the city from north to south. This road acted as the city's main street.
What's in a Name?
The name of the city, Cáparra, is not originally Latin. It likely came from a language spoken by the Vettones, a group of people who lived in this area before the Romans. The name has been spelled in different ways, such as Capara, Capera, and Kapasa.
The meaning of the name might be related to trade or exchange. Cáparra was located where two important roads met. One road led to El Jerte through a mountain pass, and the other led to Roman bridges over the Ambroz and Alagón rivers. This made Cáparra a good place for people to meet and trade goods.
