The city of Conimbriga has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. All the things related to this period before the Romans are called indigenous, although we don’t know the reason. Well, let’s stick to the point: did you know about the existence of the Roman Ruins of Conimbriga? Find out more here in this article!
Back in the 1st century BC, the Romans began to inhabit Conimbriga, but in the 1st century it underwent a major remodeling. The Roman Emperor Augustus had the forum built. So, that city project starts to become a city itself, with the first spas. It continues to be inhabited from the 2nd to the 3rd century; at the end of the 3rd century, Conimbriga begins to suffer from many invasions by non-Roman peoples, called barbarian peoples in the history books.
And then, it underwent other adaptations and the Romans built a wall, and because of it many buildings were demolished. The wall was intended to protect the city and reduce its perimeter.
Conimbriga continued until the 5th, 6th century, but in the 6th century there were already signs of abandonment of the city, a fact observed in archaeological campaigns. In the 1000’s, there were no longer people living there. The city was totally abandoned. It has been known since the 16th century, but archaeological research only began in the 19th century, at the beginning of archaeological work in Portugal.
Augusto’s Baths
The Augusto’s Baths are a place with a wonderful view, in a privileged location. In the middle of the place where the spas were, there was a warm water pool and a hot water pool. And behold, there was a place similar to what we now call a sauna, where people warmed themselves with steam to sweat. Augusto’s Baths is a beautiful place. There was even a venue to hold events such as lectures. Do you believe that? The Romans thought of everything.
Indigenous Neighborhood
The Roman Ruins of Conimbriga also encompass a space with super interesting archaeological remains. In this space, archaeologists have chosen an excellent form of conversation and preservation of these remains; excellent work indeed. These remains are a rare testimony of constructions from the Iron Age and are dated around the 4th century BC. We’re talking about the Indigenous Neighborhood, which is what they call the pre-Roman archaeological remains.
Roman Forum
Let’s talk now about the Roman Forum. It was the main building of a Roman city. Why? Because in this place there was a temple for the deification of emperors. In front of the Roman Forum of the Roman Ruins of Conimbriga there was a huge square. At the Conimbriga Museum there’s a model that helps a lot to understand the entire construction.
The last and most impressive place is the Casa dos Repuxos: at that time, the visitors of this house were people with a lot of money. It’s the house with the most preserved mosaics from the Roman Ruins of Conimbriga. Conservation and preservation professionals put a roof over the house in 1991 to protect it, along with its mosaics. Excavations at this site have not ended until today; there’s so much to be discovered!
I hope you enjoyed learning a little about the Roman Ruins of Conimbriga! Follow our coming contents about the Conimbriga Monographic Museum, the Poros Museum, and many others!
Text by: Cris Amarante & Débora Blair
Translation: Débora Blair
Photo on the top: Roman Ruins of Conimbriga, Portugal.
