If you have found a spelling error, please, notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
Monuments are curiosities dedicated to the preserved buildings, ruins, and material remains of the ancient Roman world. This category includes lesser-known facts, interesting details, and unusual information about Roman monuments, their history, function, and significance for understanding the history of the Roman Empire.
In ancient Salona, located near modern-day Split in Croatia, the remains of a Roman theater have been preserved. It was one of the most important public buildings in the former capital of the province of Dalmatia. The city was one of the largest Roman centers on the Adriatic, playing a significant administrative, commercial, and cultural role.
Within the monumental Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia, lies one of the best-preserved Roman temples in Croatia – the Temple of Jupiter. The structure was built at the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries CE as part of the imperial complex for Emperor Diocletian, who, after his abdication, took up residence in his Adriatic residence.
Casa Sannitica, or Samnite House, is one of the oldest and best-preserved houses in ancient Herculaneum. Built in the 2nd century BCE, its architecture is an excellent example of a stately residence belonging to a wealthy family of the Republican period. The house’s name refers to its decorations, inspired by the art of the Samnites, a people who inhabited southern Italy before Roman domination.
The southeastern part of ancient Salona (Croatia), capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, was the city’s most important center of political, religious, and cultural life. It was here that the most important public buildings were concentrated: the forum, the monumental theater, and temples dedicated to Roman gods.
The defensive walls of Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, were one of the most important elements of the city’s infrastructure. Their construction began as early as the 2nd century BCE, when the oldest urban center (urbs vetus) was established. At that time, the fortifications were trapezoidal in shape and surrounded an area of approximately 16 hectares. The best-preserved section of these oldest fortifications remains the area around the Porta Caesarea, a monumental city gate with an inner and outer courtyard.
The amphitheater in ancient Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, was built in the second half of the 2nd century CE. It was one of the most important public buildings in the city, intended for hosting gladiatorial fights, wild animal hunts, and other public spectacles.
Qasr Bashir in Jordan is the well-preserved ruin of a Roman fort built during the reign of Diocletian (284-305 CE). During this time, the Romans constructed smaller but better fortified strongholds than before.
The ruins of Horrea Piperataria – former storehouses used to store valuable spices from Asia and Egypt, such as pepper, cardamom and anise – are located in the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo in Rome. These buildings also housed incense, which played a crucial role in religious ceremonies and medicinal practices.
Roman thermae in Bath, England, known as Thermae Aquae Sulis, was an important center of social life in ancient times. It was created around 60 CE, around natural thermal springs that the Romans considered sacred, dedicating them to the goddess Sulis Minerva. Interestingly, the water flowing from these springs has a constant temperature of around 46°C and comes from rain that penetrated the geological layers even 10,000 years ago. Today the baths are one of the best-preserved Roman buildings in Britain and attract tourists from all over the world.
