Learn Spanish in Spain - Seville

• Our Spanish Language School
• Accomodation for our courses
• Maps of our School in Seville

• Spanish courses in Spain
• Learn Spanish living in Seville
• Learn Spanish traveling around Spain

• Write to former students
• Enrolment Form
• Frequently Asked Questions

Itálica

The Spanish department of GIRALDA CENTER-SPANISH HOUSE offers you the following information to help you discover the wealth of Spanish history and monuments.

TOWN PLAN: What can now be visited is the theatre located in the vetus urbs or old city and a small residential area of the nova urbs built by Hadrian, with its amphitheatre.

We know relatively little of Itálica’s town plan, but we do know it was one of the most important cities in the Roman province of Betica, it was surrounded by walls and it had a water supply via an aqueduct. In Santiponce the remains of a Republican temple are conserved, along with Roman Baths from the time of Trajan and a theatre from the time of Augustus (27 BC–14 AD) which is one of the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula.

Access to the archeological site comprising Hadrian’s contribution to Itálica is made by way of a gate in the wall. The streets are exceptionally wide and have paths with entries for doorways. The water supply was provided by the old aqueduct. There was also a highly developed sewage network.

Fifty houses have been located, along with six public buildings: Of these the Traianeum –a temple dedicated to Trajan surrounded by a square with columns-, the main baths, the amphitheatre and six houses have been excavated.

The houses are rectangular mansions, generally with two floors and rooms based around a central patio. They are decorated with marble, paintings and mosaics on the floor of the main rooms. There were also premises opening directly out onto the street which were rented out as shops and workshops, and it has even been possible to identify an entire construction used as a tavern.

A thermal complex occupying two blocks has been conserved, with a large pool surrounded by various sumptiously decorated rooms.

The immense amphiteatre is only 28 mts. smaller than the Colloseum in Rome and probably held 25,000 spectators. Dedicated to fights involving gladiators and the hunting of wild animals, what can be seen today are the lower seats of the three levels it once had and the arena with the central pit for the cages of the wild animals. Inscriptions have also been found indicating reserved seats, plaques with dedications to the gods and a famous bronze tablet regarding the prices of the gladiators. We know that Itálica also had a circuit for horse racing, but it has not been discovered yet.

The necropolis in the north, next to one of the roads, has burials dating from different periods and involving various rites. Some authors speak of two others existing in the city.

Itálica may have had a river port, for it was once on the banks of the River, which later changed its course. The city exported olive oil to Rome itself and other areas of the Empire.

ABANDONMENT OF THE CITY: The first part of the city to be abandoned due to the instability of the land was the northern quarter built by Hadrian. In the 3rd Century BC its materials began to be recycled to build new houses around the old city centre. Its total ruin and abandonment took place some time before the 12th Century. The town of Santiponce was destroyed by two enormous river floods, and in the 17th century was moved to its current position on the hill of the vetus urbs. All the bricks that remained were used for the construction of the new houses, a pillage of materials which continues to modern times. During the Renaissance great interest was shown in the remains of Itálica, although scientific works on the site did not begin until the 18th century. These have continued until today with numerous interruptions.

MATERIALS: The materials found are mainly located in the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Seville, and the collections of the Countess of Lebrija, the Ibarra family and others.

It is one of the richest Roman sites in terms of inscriptions. The most important are undoubtedly the “Aes italicense”, a bronze tablet with the taxes applicable to gladiators, and a fragment of a bronze tablet containing a municipal law.

Many statues, portraits and reliefs have appeared, and we have still only seen what has been discovered since the 18th century. They are of an excellent artistic quality, and include portraits of officials, private individuals, gods, mythical figures, etc...
However, very few works made of glass, ceramic, stone, or small objects have been found.

The main attraction of the ruins has always been the many mosaics which have been discovered, and which were used to decorate the floors of the main rooms. All those discovered in the 19th century disappeared, although there are copies in the form of drawings - such as the “mosaic of the race” which measured no less than 15 metres in length.

Those found at the end of the 19th century and during the 20th century were either left in place or were transferred to the Archaeological Museum and the private collections mentioned above. They vary in size and theme (mythological figures, animals, etc...). Some are geometric, some polychrome and others in black and white.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

García y Bellido, A (1985): Andalucía monumental. Itálica. Biblioteca de la cultura andaluza nº 27. Sevilla.

Luzón Nogué, J.Mª (1975): La Itálica de Adriano. Arte hispalense nº 9. Sevilla.

Roldán Hervás, J.M. (1989): La España Romana. Biblioteca Historia 16, nº 7. Madrid.

Learn Spanish in Spain

Study Spanish in Spain

Spanish courses in Spain