Monday, May 15, 2017

Italica, 2017

We stopped at Italica in 2010, hoping to see what are said to be Spain's most extensive Roman ruins. Alas, an international cross country race was going on, and the ruins were closed to people not wearing skimpy shorts and shirts. See http://roadeveron.blogspot.pt/2010/01/italica.html. Italica is just a few miles north/northwest of Seville, in Saniponce, and we stopped this time en route to Portugal. Apart from the extensiveness of the place, Italica is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Hadrian, best of all the emperors, apart from Augustus, of course. IMHO.
The amphitheater is some blocks from the main center, and is
under renovation and closed; I took these pix through the fence


To be reassembled later

Now in the main center, the museum; helpful model

Famous image on the street, near the coliseum

It's not a huge coliseum; sat 30,000

In one of the access ways underneath

Half of coliseum; like much of Italica, the coliseum was
extensively mined by the nearby monastery and medievals
generally; the stands are in poor shape and not accessible


Attempted pano

Coliseum underworks

Main street; very much reconstructed

Residences

Neptune mosaic, not as reconstructed as some of the others,
I think

Neptune himself

Domicile

Ditto, in another part of town

There is extensive interpretive signage at
Italica; alas, not in English too

The best, but I think heavily reconstructed, mosaic

Jupiter


Another floor mosaic

Thus, Italica; wherever she is, I hope Mrs. Henry, my high
school Latin teacher, is pleased with my continued devotion

We drove on, through increasingly flat and agricultural areas,
finally stopping at Vila Real de Sto. Antonio, on the estuary just
across from Ayamonte, Spain; we'll return to Spain in a few
weeks


1 comment:

Tawana said...

We saw some of this on a Rick Steves tour.