Spain’s most impressive Roman monument – it is not the Tower of Hercules or Mérida’s Roman Theatre
Spain harbours a priceless Roman heritage that continues to astonish today for its sheer magnitude and excellent state of conservation. The monuments handed down by Rome lay bare Spain’s essential role for the empire while reflecting Rome’s architectural mastery and sophisticated sense of civic planning.
Spain’s current topography integrates remnants of Roman roads, bridges, walls, theatres and temples, divulging the deep footprint bestowed by Rome on the peninsula. Rome’s civic works narrate the trade and civic development the empire established and whose remains permit a peek into the daily life of these ancient cities.
The travelling community’s verdict
The vestiges of the Roman Empire appeal not only to scholars and history enthusiasts, but also to those seeking affinity with the past and wishing to understand the culture that shaped the identity of a country. In order to discover Spain’s most preeminent Roman monument, we asked these very enthusiasts for their insights.
The results clearly demonstrate that Spain is home to a magnificent Roman heritage that unites the present day to one of antiquity’s most influential civilisations. So let’s discover which Roman monuments conquer the most hearts and minds.
Some Roman monuments that continue to dazzle
Spain’s exceptional Roman legacy is immediately apparent with the fifth-place winner, the Tower of Hercules. This 59 metre-tall structure on the Galician coast is the oldest still-working Roman lighthouse in the world and continues today to be an astounding landmark.
Fourth place is another recordholder located in Galicia. The Roman Wall of Lugo not only enthrals for its sheer size, but for it being the best conserved of its kind, with its entire perimeter perfectly visible.
Leaving Galicia, we travel to Extremadura Province, where the bronze and silver medal winners of this ranking are located. The third-place winner is the breathtaking bridge at Alcántara, noted for being the tallest Roman bridge in the world. Second place belongs to the indelible Roman Theatre of Mérida, whose stage is still used for performances to this day.
Spain’s most striking Roman monument
The Aqueduct of Segovia is nothing short of extraordinary according to the voters. Admiration and awe for this colossal civil work are understandable, considering the aqueduct was erected without a drop of mortar and continues to stand nearly two millennia later.
The aqueduct long gracing Segovia’s centre is the paragon of Rome’s aspirations for its grand civil engineering works. An ideal that includes practicality, longevity, harmony, and no less importantly, a majestic character manifesting the grandeur of the Roman Empire.
You can also read this article in Spanish here.
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