During the many centuries that Cartagena was under Roman rule the city
flourished and expanded to considerable size.
Impressive public buildings were erected, particularly during the Augustian age
from about 43BC to AD18. The Romans took the city in 209BC and it wasn't until
425AD that the Vandals vandalised the place. Their spiritual descendants are
still around, as is demonstrated by the remarkable amount of ugly graffiti to be
seen everywhere.
Not surprisingly, there are extensive remains of what was one of the Roman
Empire's, most important cities. After consolidating rule in Spain, the province
became an integral part of the empire, supplying manpower for the legions, three
Emperors and constituting a vital part of the food supply for Rome.
The remains of the Roman city were largely forgotten until very recently. It was
only in 1990 that some stones that had turned up on the side of the hill by the
waterfront were confirmed to be part of the extensive complex that made up the
Roman Theatre. Throughout the preceding centuries, Roman stones and masonry had
been recycled into other buildings, as happened everywhere.
Today archaeologists have a very good idea of the boundaries, shape, roads,
public and private buildings of the ancient city and more remains seem to be
found almost every day as redevelopment moves ahead now that Cartagena is
prosperous once more.
A very practical approach has been adopted. If the presence of remains was
allowed to permanently halt projects than nothing would ever get built. Instead,
sites are thoroughly investigated and there are innovative displays beneath
several modern buildings that allow the visitor to explore the Roman city. Other
remains are carefully re-covered for posterity or displayed as parts of gardens
or streets.
The most logical place to start underground exploration is at the Augusteum.
However, this is only open from 4pm to 7pm, so it's impossible to start a day's
exploration there and it will have to be scheduled in after visiting other
places. Standard admission is two Euros. The entrance is a bit difficult to
find, being located down a small pedestrianised street, Caballero, which runs
off a corner of the Plaza San Francisco to Calle Caridad.
What is named the Augusteum is, in fact, part the underground remains of the
administrative, commercial and religious heart of the city and it encompasses
several buildings, streets and open areas. This area was also important in
pre-Roman times. At the height of the Pax Romana, particularly in the First and
Second Centuries, AD, this was where all the leading figures of the city would
meet. The Emperor Hadrian was born in a town near Seville and he was emperor
from 117 to 138AD. When he visited the wall that bears his name in Britain the
area of Cartagena now known as the Augusteum was at its peak. The city was the
capital of Conventus Carthaginensis. Huge quantities of grain, grown inland, was
shipped out through the port to Rome, with other important local exports being
salt and the lead and silver extracted from the busy mines to the east of the
city. Esparto grass was another vital export. This hardy grass made the ropes
that were essential to shipping, transport and industry. A fermented fish paste,
known as garum, was a vital ingredient of Roman cooking throughout the empire.
There are walkways that lead the visitor around the ruins and the design and
lighting is very evocative of those ancient days. The first place to be seen is
the Forum which was the hub of the city administration and there is an
exhibition around the walls.
Next the route leads to the main remains and on the walls many finds made during
excavations are displayed. Look for the roof tile fragment that bears an
open-mouthed face. There are also coins, lamps, pottery, jars, bowls and other
items of everyday life.
The route then leads on to the area where the main temple was situated, outlined
by the surviving walls. A chequered black and white pavement can still be seen
at the entrance, as can parts of the decorative flooring of the central hall.
Coloured and veined marble probably came from quarries in northern Murcia.
Quarrying of high-quality stone is still very active there today.
The emperor Augustus was venerated in the temple and there were two stone nymphs
at the side of the entrance leading into the main hall. The priests had a
separate access. Admission to membership of the collegium that paid homage to
Augustus was a mark of great distinction.
The next place to visit is the home of a prosperous Roman merchant. This is
located very near to the Augusteum, with the entrance in a corner of the Plaza
Risueño. Steps lead down to the Casa De La Fortuna, or House of Fortune. Access
used to be much more fun, as visitors had to go down into the basement of a bank
on the other side of the street. Anyway, things are much easier now with the new
entrance. The Casa De La Fortuna is open from 10am to 2.30pm. Standard admission
is two Euros.
The attractive aspect of the House of Fortune is that it was the home of an
ordinary, though obviously rather wealthy, family. The walls and tiled floors of
the home can be seen, many still with their original mosaic surfaces in place
and there is a back door, kitchen, bedrooms and all the other ordinary things of
life. On display are a bust, crockery, painted tiles, pottery, coins,
decorations, jewelry, lamps and weights. The main door of the house was onto a
street surfaced with irregular slabs of gray limestone and a pavement bordered
in sandstone and this is also part of the underground display. Sophisticated
drains can be seen. This was once a very busy place.
The house dates back to the First Century AD and it was only discovered in 2000.
Perhaps the saddest thing to be seen are the black smudges on the tiles that
mark the fires lit in the ruins after the destruction of Cartagena in the Fifth
Century. Of more happy memory is the wording "Fortuna Propitia", set into a
floor that gives the house its modern name. The ornate floor mosaic of the
dining room survives and there was even an area where overstuffed gourmets could
vomit to make room for more delicacies.
The treasure of the house is undoubtedly, the room in which the original Roman
painted walls can be seen. Glowing colours pick out edgings and patterns,
flowers, leaves, motifs, and even a long-necked swan still elegant two thousand
years after it was painted. This is a truly remarkable room.
The house was built, like much of the Forum and the Roman Theatre, during a time
of great prosperity for Cartagena. The area is 204 square metres and the fact
that it was an individual house shows that it belonged to a relatively wealthy
family. The ordinary people normally lived in rented multi-story tenements.
The final Roman underground location to visit is the Decumano at Plaza Tres
Reyes, on Calle Honda, which runs of the busy Puertas de Murcia, in the heart of
the city. In fact, the activities, such as shopping, trading, eating and
drinking, that make the area so much fun today are exactly those that went on in
Roman times in the same area. Then, the street that is now the Puertas de
Murcia, was on the water, with ships loading and unloading all the time.
The Decumano features the main road that was apparently built, like so much
else, in the First Century AD. The road lead up through the area of the
Augusteum and onwards, like all Roman roads, eventually to Rome. The large
paving blocks are dated, however, to the Fourth or Fifth Century. On either side
of the road can be seen arcades, public baths and the remains of two ancient
taverns. An excellent sewage system well beneath the surface of the street
collected waste and rainwater from all the buildings.
The Decumano is open from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Standard admission is two Euros.
You can't visit the Augusteum, the Casa De La Fortuna or the Decumano on Mondays
as they are all closed on that day. The good news is that they are open every
other day, including Saturday and Sunday. The Puertas de Culturas staff of the
places described above, in their neat uniforms, know lots, so encourage them to
talk English with you. You can get various deals with combined tickets that give
admission to several places.
The remains of another Roman home have recently been discovered, across the
street from the Plaza De La Merced and not far from the Casa De La Fortuna and
it is still being investigated. This area has recently been cleared of
dilapidated buildings and the remains of a Roman street have been cleaned up and
are displayed between the walkways of what will become an extensive garden and
open area. As this is open-air there are no admission charges or times two worry
about. Look up at the old bullring on the crest of the hill while you are there
- this was the site of the Roman gladiators' arena.
The newly-discovered house has been named La Casa de Salvius, or the House of
Salvius. All the indications are that it was occupied by another prosperous
family of the Roman period and dates back to the First Century AD. The house was
well lit and ventilated with a good water supply and storage facilities to
capture rainfall. Access was from a garden that led into a porticoed gallery
with a marble floor with pieces from as far away as Tunisia and edged with
ribbons and strips of decorative stone. The rooms of the home were very elegant
and richly decorated, with porphyry from Egypt being featured.
Possible Programme
If you want to visit all these places, then one programme might be: 1. Park in
the large car park beneath the waterfront promenade at about 11am. 2. Pick up a
map and information at the tourist booth beneath the walls, at the left as you
look at them with your back to the sea. 3. Walk up the Calle Mayor, past the old
town hall at the left of the walls, to the Puertas de Murcia. 4. Turn right off
the Puertas de Murcia into Calle Honda and visit the Decumano, which opens at
12.30pm. 5. Carry on into Plaza San Francisco and head for the far right hand
corner. 6. Walk up Calle Cabelleros (passing the entrance to the Augustum on the
right - which will be shut). 7. Have a coffee or a beer in Tommy's Irish bar at
the end of Caballeros. 8. Turn into Plaza de Risueño. 9. Visit the Casa De La
Fortuna (Remember, it closes at 2.30pm). 10. Come out and turn onto Calle Duque.
11. Walk left along to Plaza de La Merced. 12. On the other side of the road, in
the open area, you will see the area of the House of Salvius, and parts of the
Roman street. 12. Look up at the old gladiators' arena at the top of the hill.
13. Start retracing your steps and look for somewhere to have a leisurely lunch.
14. Arrive back at the Decumano when it opens at 4pm. 15. Retrace your steps
back to your car. During the day, you'll probably get lost, but central
Cartagena is small place and you will, no doubt, explore unexpected areas. You
will never be more than a 30-minute walk away from the waterfront.
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