The imperial legacy extends throughout the Iberian Peninsula, showing the importance that Hispania had in the configuration of it. There are many cities that originated during the centuries of the Roman Empire and an example of them is Baelo Claudia, one of the most impressive archaeological sites.
In the current Bolonia, in the province of Cadiz, a great city that reached the rank of municipium was built in the time of splendor. However, after its moment of brilliance and prosperity, it fell into oblivion until many centuries later, when research and excavations began to reveal its importance.
Two millennia later
The first major research did not reach Baelo Claudia until 1917 by the Frenchman Pierre Paris. With these excavations, the most basic structures of the city were discovered and studied. To the name of Pierre Paris we must add that of George Bonsor, who worked in several Andalusian sites and, in the case of Baelo Claudia, focused on the eastern necropolis.
One hundred years after these first excavations we can contemplate the remains of the most important buildings and spaces of this important port city. In addition to the walls and the forum, there are buildings of great importance, such as the curia or the four temples dedicated to different divinities of the Roman pantheon, from Isis to the Capitoline Triad consisting of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. However, there is one building that stands out above the rest: its theater.
Do you want to know more about the development and decline of Baelo Claudia? Discover its theater and the history of the Roman city in southern Hispania with IMAGEEN, now available on our YouTube channel!