Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia

How to get to Baelo-Claudia?

Leaving Tarifa along the national highway 340, towards Cádiz, upon reaching kilometer point 70.2, take the local highway of Bolonia CA.P.8202, until reaching the Ensenada and Bolonia beach where Baelo is located.

The city of Baelo-Claudia, located on the shore of the Strait of Gibraltar, is located in the western part of the Bolonia cove. The Sierra de la Plata and San Bartolomé mountains form an arch that leaves it framed by mountains, so that the sea was its best means of communication, and it owes its wealth and reputation to it. The fishing industry, fundamentally tuna, constituted its main economic source.

Excavations have brought to light the most complete Roman urban complex in the entire Iberian Peninsula, with monuments of extraordinary interest such as the Basilica, the theater, the market and the temple of Isis.

The architectural complex integrates an exhibition, museum, restoration and storage space, for the custody of its numerous movable goods from the different excavations carried out in this archeological zone since the beginning of the last century. It also has a thematic library specialized in the Roman world, a conference room and a scientific archive made up of the extensive documentation generated by the studies carried out in Baelo-Claudia. The exhibition space is made up of two permanent exhibition rooms and one for temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibition rooms are integrated into a double-height space illuminated from above from a longitudinal patio that runs along the south side of the room, where we can see a wide image of the Ensenada de Bolonia. After accessing and visiting these rooms, the route runs towards the temporary exhibition hall, a more dynamic area that will link with the access to the Roman city.

HISTORY OF BAELO-CLAUDIA

The city of Baelo-Claudia is a Roman archeological site that dates back to the 2nd century BC. in a highly strategic area such as the Strait. Its origin and subsequent development are closely linked to the development of salting industries and trade with North Africa, being a port of union with the current Tangier.

On the change of era Emperor Claudius, aware of the strategic importance of Baelo, both from an economic point of view as part of the so-called Circle of the Straits, and for being the port of embarkation for troops in his project of occupation and romanization of the Mauritania Tingitana, with its capital in Tingis, a new province that he himself had created by splitting it from the previous province of Mauritania in the year 42, became the protector of the city, granting it the status of “municipium” and adding to the old Ibero-Punic denomination her own name: Baelo Claudia, as Octavio Augusto had done fifty years earlier with Iulia Traducta. A process of urban development begins that will culminate in the 1st half of the s. II AD with the construction of a large monumental forum, recreational buildings and an outstanding salting complex, a true economic engine of the city. It is in this period when Baelo will receive the nickname of Claudia, promoting the Roman municipality and thus enjoying the city of the most important period of prosperity in its history.

Es el enclave histórico más conocido de la comarca y uno de los más visitados en Andalucía. Allí podemos contemplar todos los elementos de una ciudad romana. El entorno natural es inigualable. Recomendamos iniciar la visita por el centro de visitantes y el museo, desde donde veremos parte de uno de los tres acueductos que la abastecían a la ciudad. Encontramos después la muralla que rodea la ciudad. En el exterior se encuentra una gran necrópolis, que cuenta con algunos monumentos funerarios. La entrada a la ciudad la realizamos por la Puerta Este o de Carteia, ubicada en uno de los extremos del decumanus maximus, o calle principal en sentido este-oeste. Esta calle tiene una impresionante solería de losa de Tarifa, un tipo de piedra que se exportaba a otras ciudades del Imperio. Por debajo de la cual discurre una cloaca. Al sur de la calle, junto a la playa, encontramos varias cetariae o factorías de salazones de pescado y garum. Esta industria fue la razón de la existencia de la urbe. En ella podemos ver las piletas donde se depositaba el pescado con sal. Muchas de ellas tienen la habitual forma cúbica. Al norte del decumanus, en el cruce con del cardo máximo (calle principal en sentido norte-sur) encontramos el foro. Éste era el centro de la vida pública, estructurado en torno a una plaza con dos pórticos. En torno al foro podemos ver al sur la Basílica, destinada a la administración de Justicia. Hay que destacar las columnas restauradas y la reproducción de la estatua del emperador Trajano que fue encontrada en ese mismo lugar. Al oeste se encuentra el Tabularium o archivo, una sala de votaciones y otros edificios menores. Al este se encuentran las tiendas (tabernae). En el cardo máximo se encuentra el Macellum o mercado, construido posteriormente para alejar del foro el comercio. Este mercado cuenta con tiendas en torno al patio y tiene un pórtico en la fachada.

Volviendo al decumanus maximus, encontramos en su otro extremo la Puerta Oeste o de Gades, que toma su nombre porque señala el camino hacia esa ciudad. Junto a ella hay unas termas, quizás privadas por su reducido tamaño, en la que podemos ver las distintas estancias (caliente, templada y fría) constan con los pilares y arcos de ladrillo que sustentaban el hueco bajo el suelo, por donde circulaba el aire caliente, el hipocaustum. Si seguimos hacia la parte alta de la ciudad, llegamos al bien conservado teatro, que aprovecha en parte la ladera para la construcción de la cavea o graderío. Cerca del teatro podemos apreciar mejor la zona de culto, que dominaba el foro en altura desde su lado norte, con los templos dedicados a la tríada capitolina (Júpiter. Juno y Minerva) junto a los cuales se construye otro dedicado al culto mistérico de la diosa egipcia Isis, y que es el mejor conservado de ellos en Hispania.

Son muchas las actividades culturales que se realizan en el conjunto arqueológico de Baelo Claudia, talleres didácticos y visitas guiadas para estudiantes y público en general, algunas dramatizadas, espectáculos como conciertos o teatro clásico y contemporáneo (a veces aprovechando las mágicas noche de verano), congresos y cursos de arqueología, etc.

The city of Baelo will enter a process of progressive decline that will begin in the middle of the 2nd century AD, surely favored by the earthquake that devastated the city in the 15th century. III AD, and after a gradual regression it will culminate with the population abandonment of the city towards the s. VII AD

Baelo- Claudia represents a clear reference for the knowledge of Roman urban planning and life in a city during the Roman Empire, since all the representative elements that constitute the essence of a Roman city are located here, that is; the forum, the temples, the basilica, the administrative buildings such as the curia or the archive, the market, the theater, the baths, the industrial district, aqueducts, the entire wall, etc.

OPENING HOURS TO THE PUBLIC

From Tuesday to Sunday . Closed Monday

Access is allowed until 30 minutes before closing time. The museums and archeological and monumental complexes will open every public holiday. Including the premises, with the exception of January 1 and 6, May 1 and December 24, 25 and 31.

GUIDED VISITS In relation to the activities that are carried out for the general public (not groups), every Wednesday of the year (except April 15 and holidays) at 12:00 a free guided tour is carried out for all those who want to link.

If you want information about the rest of the activities that are organized (visits, educational workshops, etc.) or for any other query, you can contact us via the web, e-mail or by phone:

Página web: www.museosdeandalucia.es

Teléfono: 956106793

Email: baeloclaudia.ccul@juntadeandalucia.es