Via Claudia Augusta facts for kids
The Via Claudia Augusta was an amazing ancient Roman road. It connected the Po valley in Italy with a region called Rhaetia, which included parts of modern-day Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein. Imagine a superhighway built by the Romans to help people travel across the mighty Alps mountains!
This historic route is still around today. Since the 1990s, many people have become interested in hiking and cycling long distances. Because of this, the German and Austrian parts of the Via Claudia Augusta are now popular with tourists. You can even see modern signs that show where the old road used to be.
Since 2007, there's been a special place in Mezzocorona, Italy, called the Giontech Archeological Site. It's a research center where experts study the Via Claudia Augusta to learn even more about its past.
Contents
Discovering the Via Claudia Augusta
Building an Ancient Highway
In 15 BC, a Roman general named Nero Claudius Drusus received an important task from his stepfather, Emperor Augustus. Drusus was ordered to improve the mountain paths through the Alps. This was important for the Roman army and to help Rome control the regions of Rhaetia and Noricum.
About sixty years later, in 46-47 AD, Drusus's son, Emperor Claudius, finished the project. What started as a simple trail for pack animals (animals carrying goods) became a proper road for wheeled carts and wagons! This new road made it much easier for people and goods to travel.
The road allowed travel from the Adriatic Sea and the wide Po River valley all the way to Tridentum (which is modern-day Trento). From there, it went north along the Adige River to a place called Pons Drusi, or "Drusus's bridge," which later grew into Bolzano. The road continued past Maia (near Merano) and over the Reschen Pass. After the pass, it went down through the valleys of the Inn River and the Lech River, reaching Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg). There was even an extension to Burghoefe (now Mertingen) near the Danube river. At this point, the Via Claudia Augusta connected with another important Roman military road that ran along the south side of the Danube. This helped protect the Roman northern border, which was the Danube River until the end of the first century AD.
Milestones and Connections
To help travelers, the Romans placed special markers called milestones along the road. These were like ancient road signs! Two of these original milestones have been found. One was near Merano in Italy, and the other near Belluno, also in Italy. Both milestones showed that the road ended at Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg).
These milestones also tell us that two different routes joined together at Tridentum (Trento) before crossing the Alps. One route started near the Po River at a small town called Ostiglia. The other route, whose exact starting point is still being studied by archaeologists, began at the Adriatic Sea port of Altinum (near Venice). On its way to Trento, this route crossed several other important Roman roads, like the Via Annia and the Via Postumia.
The Via Claudia Augusta began as a military road for conquest and defense. But Emperor Claudius made it even better, turning it into a route for culture and trade. Along the road, there were permanent "posting stations" where travelers could get fresh horses. Some of these stations grew into large towns, and some were even fortified later on. Others can only be found today by archaeologists digging them up. In the 2nd century AD, another important mountain pass, the Brenner Pass, was opened for wheeled traffic, making travel even easier.
Journeying Along the Route
Many towns and cities grew up along the Via Claudia Augusta over the centuries. Here are some of the key places you would have found along this ancient road:
Cycling the Historic Path Today
Today, the Via Claudia Augusta is a very popular route for cyclists who want to cross the Alps. The journey begins in Donauwörth, Germany. Near Trento, the path splits into two main routes. The first route, which is the historically accurate one, ends in Ostiglia. The second, more popular route, leads to Venice.
The entire cycling trail is about 700 kilometers (about 435 miles) long. To make the journey easier, especially over the challenging Fern Pass and Reschen Pass, there are special bus shuttles. These buses can carry both cyclists and their bicycles over the toughest parts of the route, so everyone can enjoy the adventure!
