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.
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