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.
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The amphitheater is some blocks from the main center, and is under renovation and closed; I took these pix through the fence |
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To be reassembled later |
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Now in the main center, the museum; helpful model |
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Famous image on the street, near the coliseum |
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It's not a huge coliseum; sat 30,000 |
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In one of the access ways underneath |
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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 |
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Attempted pano |
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Coliseum underworks |
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Main street; very much reconstructed |
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Residences |
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Neptune mosaic, not as reconstructed as some of the others, I think |
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Neptune himself |
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Domicile |
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Ditto, in another part of town |
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There is extensive interpretive signage at Italica; alas, not in English too |
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The best, but I think heavily reconstructed, mosaic |
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Jupiter |
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Another floor mosaic |
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Thus, Italica; wherever she is, I hope Mrs. Henry, my high school Latin teacher, is pleased with my continued devotion |
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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:
We saw some of this on a Rick Steves tour.
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