Iruña-Veleia

Iruña de Oca, Spain

Veleia was a Roman town in Hispania. It was an important station on the Roman road ab Asturica Burdigalam that ran parallel to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. At its apogee, the city could have been inhabited by some five to ten thousand people, and apparently went through different cycles of prosperity and decline into the Early Middle Ages until it was finally abandoned.

The archaeological site of Iruña-Veleia is the most important from the Roman period in the Basque Country. It was alleged to contain the oldest known texts written in the Basque language as well as, allegedly, the oldest representation of the crucifixion of Jesus found to date, but later it was said that the findings were forgeries. Other authors favored their genuinely ancient provenance, in agreement with the stratigraphic dating performed by the archaeologists who made the discoveries.

The town was founded in the 8th century BC, in the Late Bronze Age. The houses from this period, rectangular and round with adobe walls and thatched roofs, are similar to those found at the nearby site of Atxa (Vitoria).

In the first half of the 1st century some of these houses were replaced by others of Roman style (domus). This architectural romanization continued as the century advanced.

The late Roman city (3rd and 4th centuries) is better known. It shows signs of decay and the construction of a wall that encloses an eleven hectare area. The town survived into the 5th century after Roman power had disappeared from the region, but by the end of the century only burial plots in abandoned buildings are found.

There was an abbey at the site at least since the 16th century whose buildings remained visible until the mid 19th century.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1st century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maite Marcos (2 years ago)
A true marvel where you can explore the surroundings enjoying a wonderful experience since it has a very good restoration with explanatory panels to enjoy with children.
sheyla castro castro (2 years ago)
Today we have visited this site, the guy who attended me was charming, he explained everything to me so that we could do the visit on our own, he has impressive knowledge. The incredible site but there is still a lot to discover. As soon as I can I will return to the guided tour!!!
Beto Kamon (2 years ago)
I did not imagine that we would have a deposit of this size so close to home. There is still a lot to do, to unearth, but one can already get an idea of ​​the magnitude and importance that the town had. It has a lot to discover and give us new surprises.
Vanesa Sandin (2 years ago)
We just arrived for the guided tour and the truth is that the explanation by the guide was very good, very enjoyable to learn a little more about our history.
Carolina f (3 years ago)
Phenomenal site for making profitable public money craft jobs.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.