Located on the Gulf of Trieste (the Sinus Tergestinus in antiquity) at the start of the Istrian peninsula, was the ancient city of Tergeste, or Tergestum. Today, the remains of Tergeste are located among the modern city of Trieste, which like its predecessor, now shares a name with the adjacent gulf. The origins of the…
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Continued from Serdica Part I Out in front of the hotel that makes up the western part of the building complex enclosing the Church of St. Geroge, where we left off, is another set of excavations, the Sveta Nedelya Square excavations. These were ongoing when I visited in 2017, and seem to still be presently…
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Located in the Apennine foothills of Umbria along the banks of the Sapis river (modern Savio) sat the ancient settlement of Sarsina. Also called Sasina in antiquity, the modern town of just a few thousand retains the ancient name. Prior to Roman hegemony, the settlement was located in the territory of the Sarsinates, who seem…
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The Roman settlement of Julia Augusta Taurinorum, which gave rise to the modern Northern Italian city of Turino (Turin), seems to have begun life as a settlement of the Celto-Ligurian Taurini peoples, perhaps called Taurasia. The location of the settlement at the foot of the Cottian Alps and the confluence of the Padus/Eridanus and Duria…
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Continued from Philippopolis Part II Theater The ancient theater of Philippopolis is located on the saddle between Taksim Hill and Dzhambaz Hill (two of the three hills of Trimontium) straddling Boulevard Tsar Boris III Obedinitel, which runs through the hill directly below the theater. The actual address of the theater is Tsar Ivaylo Street 4….
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Continued from Philippopolis Part I Not far to the northeast of the northern part of Philippopolis’ forum is the area of the Great Basilica or the Bishop’s Basilica. When I first visited in 2017, the area was exposed but inaccessible. It appeared to be in an active state of excavation and conservation. Many of the…
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Located on a plateau atop the Monti Lepini (Volscian Mountains), an anti-Apennine mountain range overlooking the Agro Pontino (Pomptinus Ager in antiquity; the land of the Pontine Marshes), sits the ancient settlement of Norba. The settlement’s commanding presence over the Pomptinus Ager made it a particularly important location in the control of the area. The…
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Situated along the present day Adige River (the Athesis in antiquity) is the city of Verona, bearing the same name in the Roman period as it does today. The pre-Roman origins of settlement in the area are a matter of some debate. By some accounts it was the territory of the Euganei, a semi-historical italic…
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History Located on the northeast coast of the Sardinia, Olbia is today, as it was in antiquity, the primary city on the eastern coast of the island. The city has taken on a number of names throughout history; Civita, Phausania, and Terranova Pausania, before being changed back to Olbia under Mussolini. Historically, the founding of…
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History The exact date of the founding of Forum Julii, the ancient predecessor to modern Fréjus, is a bit unclear. The name suggests that it was founded by Julius Caesar, and as such, it is likely that it was founded somewhere around 49 BCE, perhaps as some sort of camp or supply station during Caesar’s…
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