Italica

[low_delta]

On friday, after a visit to the Seville Cemetery (pictures to come), we went outside of town to see the Roman Ruins at Italica. This city was first settled in 206 BC, and began to fade in the second century CE.


The coliseum could seat an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people. There were three levels of seating. The third level has largely collapsed.

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The floor of the arena had a large pond. It was apparently used for some water sports, or sometimes covered up.

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All the exposed surfaces were made of big stone blocks, and all the structure inside was rocks and mortar. That mortar was relatively fragile, and much of the coliseum was in ruins.

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A tunnel leading to the second level.

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Steps leading up to the third level.

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An example of a sewer drain, near the front entrance.

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The (former) tunnel leading into the arena was a wide passage, that had held stalls for people selling their wares. This design scratched into the pavement was probably for a game.

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The gallery, running under the seats, just outside the arena floor, at the Coliseum. This is where the gladiators walked.

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After the coliseum, we went up the hill to an open area. It was several blocks of this sort of ruin. Low foundation walls. They had outlines where homes and shops had been. One block was a public area, with hot and cold baths, and places like that.

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We could get an idea of how people lived. Each block was a villa, with residential rooms, patios and shops.

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But the best part of this area was the mosaic floors. This room had a mosaic of the gods for which the days of the week were named (and were also planets and the sun). Sorry about the shadow. I couldn't move the railing.

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Venus. Click for detail.

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This was a fun section of floor. In the middle, in color, was Neptune. He was astride a great beast, but that part of the mosaic had deteriorated, for some reason. He was surrounded by sea monsters.

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In the border was a battle between people and various creatures. Looks like the gator scared the crap out of this guy.

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This one had a couple dozen different birds. Quite impressive.

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And finally, the sewer under the city.


Here are Manolo, Cyn and Donna standing two thousand year old pavement.

Italica rocked!

Comments

[rivendweller.livejournal.com]

Fascinating, Kevin. I really enjoyed this post. I had no idea those things existed in Spain. I knew the Romans had been there, but a coliseum? Wow! And those floor tiles are spectacular.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Romans were everywhere. I think their constructions only really lasted in the south of Europe, because of freezing and thawing. Of course this was all buried for centuries. Much of it is still buried. Excavations are ongoing.

[rivendweller.livejournal.com]

When Ray went to Europe he said one of things that impressed him the most was the age of some of the buildings. Some would be approaching 1,000 years old, and the oldest we have in this country? 250 maybe? I don't think that's a bad thing, but it is interesting.

At least native Americans were not destroying the environment, right? LOL

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

I love this. And 11 gave me goosebumps, picturing the gladiators.....

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

In one of the rooms, they had posted a copy of the gladiators' contract. It was quite involved.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

Okay. Having to sign a contract to go out and get maimed or killed is ludicrous.

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

Some lived to get paid and come back to play another day. On the far side of the arena was the Gate of Death, where they carted out the ones who didn't survive. You can see it in Picture #5, the break in the seating. That's the gate.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

And I thought being a mover was rough.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

No guts, no glory.

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

I would be running away.

Or dead.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yes, but if you won, you'd want your money, wouldn't you? Besides, not everybody who lost died.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

What a weird weird life.

[mellary4.livejournal.com]

This was my favorite post yet of the pictures from your trip. I was going to say I got goose bumps when I saw the tunnel the gladiators walked through but then I saw that Devonne said the same thing and I don't want to be a copy cat. But I really did get goose bumps! :)

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

This was my top favorite place to visit. To be standing where gladiators stood...man! Picturing the people back then when it was all new, touching the same wall they touched. It IS goosebump inducing!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Good set, Kevin! I still have to do one on Italica. I just realized ho many really old rocks there are in this country. We just kind of take it for granted. Parts of the Santiago pilgrimage routes that people walk are over stretches of old Roman roads and bridges.

You posted my favourite owl mosaic!
We're glad you two liked the place. It's one of our favourite places that's nearby.

[emschin.livejournal.com]

Who did the tile work? Artists? Slaves? They would have to have artistic talen--but were the paid for their work?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I would think that anything that required real talent would be done by highly paid artisans.

The only thing I found that mentioned work being done by slaves was the Alhambra. And I'm not sure when they used the slaves, or for what sort of construction. I'm guessing it was only the grunt work done in the early construction. Not the artistic stuff, and not in later periods. But I'm not sure about the timing.

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

It's possible that a non-paid worker would be tapped for the project if they were known to be talented. It's documented in history of American slavery, with music-making.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

It's possible, and I don't know the history of slavery in the Roman Empire, but I'm guessing that mosaic floors were big business in those days.

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

LOL about the gator.

Can you imagine the man-hours to make those mosaics? Sore knees and all...

Cool stuff, Kevin.