Schwarzenacker Roman Museum is an archaeological open-air museum in Schwarzenacker, a district of Homburg, Saarland, Germany. The museum was constructed by archaeologist Alfonso Kolling, who also led the archaeological excavations at the site. Current director is Klaus Kell.
The Museum shows the remains of a Roman vicus (country town) of approximately 2000 inhabitants which existed from the time of the birth of Christ until its destruction by the Alemanni in 275 AD. Visitors can view the excavated buildings, grounds, roads and culverts.
In the adjoining 18th century villa and the reconstructed houses of the vicus important finds from the everyday life of the Roman population are exhibited, found either at the settlement itself or in the surrounding area. At the front steps of the villa stand life-size replicas of Roman equestrian statues which were discovered in 1887 in nearby Breitfurt. The originals stood for many years at the entrance of the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in Speyer, but they were removed and placed in the courtyard of the museum under a canopy, since they were heavily weathered due to environmental factors.
The early 18th Century (c. 1725) villa was designed by Jonas Erikson Sundahl. Besides the Roman exhibits, the villa also contains paintings by Johann Christian von Mannlich and other period painters of the region. The villa has a landscaped garden in the Baroque style, which was created following the excavation of the vicus.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.