In the first century AD Roman Vienna was set up as a military camp right between Michaelerplatz, Graben and Kohlmarkt in the city centre. First and foremost, the camp served as part of the frontier defenses along the Danube. In addition to the camp, the Romans set up an adjacent Roman town in what is today the third district of Landstrasse. At some point, Vienna, aka Vindobona, counted more than 30,000 inhabitants from all parts of the Roman Empire.
To be fair, in the Roman Empire the creation of Vindobona was not breaking news. While Vindobona was just one of many little towns in the Empire the Roman culture shaped its future to a large extent.
What Was Vienna Called By The Romans?
The Romans called Vienna Vindobona, adopting and adapting the existing Celtic name for the area. Vindobona comes from Gaulish windo - "white" and bona "base/bottom"meaning "white foundation" or "white fort". The name was a borrowing of a Celtic toponym meaning either "white place" or "place of Vindos", a personal name. Typically, the Romans adopted local place names when they established settlements, often with slight modifications to fit Latin pronunciation and grammar. In this case, they kept the Celtic name because there was already a settlement there before their arrival - as the pre-Latin, obviously Celtic name of the civil settlement Vindobona shows, the place must have been inhabited already in pre-Roman times. The "white" in the name might be a reference to the river flowing through it or it could refer to the appearance of the local terrain or buildings. The Romans simply formalized the existing Celtic name when they established their military camp there in the 1st century AD.
Does Vienna Have Roman Ruins?
Yes, Vienna does have Roman ruins! After all the Romans were present for about 350 years. The Roman period in Vienna spanned from approximately 15-50 AD to around 350-400 AD. In the fifth century AD, Vindobona was sacked several times by Germanic tribes. Finally, the Romans left the town and camp in the 5th century AD. Where to see Roman Ruins in Vienna: The Römermuseum (Roman Museum) at Hoher Markt is probably your best starting point to explore Roman Vienna. Dedicated to Vienna's Roman past it combines actual excavated ruins with exhibits about life in ancient Vindobona. For example, you will see the remains of two Roman officers' houses in the basement. The most comprehensive exhibition of Roman finds in Vienna can be seen at the Roman Museum (Römermuseum) on Hoher Markt in the city centre. The small museum hosts a fine selection of Roman reliefs, pottery, jewelry, as well as elements of original thermae. The Museum of Fine Arts (Kunsthistorisches Museum) has a fine Antiques collection of Roman and Greek objects, such as the Roman bust in the photo. Many of these objects were part of the Habsburg Emperors art treasures collection.
Michaelerplatz, Kohlmarkt and Graben. The oldest ruins of Roman Vienna date all the way back to the second to fourth centuries. In the middle of Michaelerplatz, close to the Spanish Riding School Vienna and the Imperial Palace (Hofburg), you can see the bases of Roman houses. The square had been a Roman junction of streets. Kohlmarkt, one of the main Vienna shopping boulevards, was thought to have been one of the main streets that the amber merchants took on their way to the South of Europe. Around the corner of Kohlmarkt, Graben boulevard still takes its name from a Roman ditch there.
Bauernmarkt. Excavations close to central Bauernmarkt uncovered an unusual cellar with windows built from ashlars and stone slabs, dating back to the 4th century. With a floor area of 450 m² and a depth of 5 m, it is unique on the Roman Danube border. However, its function still puzzles the experts: its floor plan, architecture, and finds point to a Mithraic sanctuary or a treasury. However, it could also have been a storage cellar, granary, or even a prison. During a visit to the Roman Museum and seeing the exhibits the story will become clearer.
Hoher Markt. During extensive canal construction work after World War II, in 1948, canal workers discovered the remains of the tribunal houses of the legionary warehouse Vindobona at Hoher Markt, were the Roman Museum is located. It also became clear that Vindobona had received its supply through an elaborately built 17 km long water pipeline.
Other ways to discover the remains of Roman Vienna is during a wine tasting in a private wine cellar which dates back to Roman times.
By the way, the Roman Ruin at Schönbrunn Palace is an 18th-century folly. The purely decorative architecture was to enhance the palace gardens' aesthetic appeal.
Which Roman Emperor Died In Vienna?
According to the Roman author Aurelius Victor, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius died in Vindobona on 17th March 180 AD. He had suffered from an unknown illness while on a military campaign against invading Germanic tribes. His son and successor Commodus accompanied the famous philosopher-emperor. He was immediately deified and his ashes were returned to Rome, and rested in Hadrian's mausoleum (modern Castel Sant'Angelo). During his military campaigns along the Danube frontier Marcus Aurelius wrote portions of his famous philosophical work Meditations. It consists of a series of personal reflections and exercises in Stoic philosophy. Specficially, these writings emphasize virtue, reason, and the transient nature of human existence. In Roman Vienna's history, Marcus Aurelius occupies a significant place as was not only ruling the empire from this frontier fortress but also died there.
Today the Mark Aurel Strasse close to Hoher Markt which is thought to have been near the Emperor's accommodation, reminds of the Emperor.
What is the Roman Town Near Vienna?
About 40km east of Vienna Carnuntum represented the capital of the Roman province Pannonia. Located south of the town of Petronell-Carnuntum the military base and city of 50,000 inhabitants was an important Roman settlement founded in the middle of the first century AD at a crossing point of trade routes on the Danube.
In 106 Carnuntum became the capital of the province of Upper Pannonia / Pannonia Superior. In fact, Roman Emperor Hadrian made Aelium Carnuntum the capital of Pannonia Superior. Here the emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote the second book of his Meditations during his campaign against the Marcomanni (172–174). Its importance is indicated by the fact that Marcus Aurelius resided there for three years (172–175) during the war against the Marcomanni, and wrote part of his Meditations there.
In 193, Roman soldiers proclaimed Septimius Severus, at the time governor of Pannonia, emperor there.
In Roman times, Carnuntum became a major trading centre for amber, brought from the north to traders who sold it in Italy. Most importantly, the main arm of the Amber Road crossed the Danube at Carnuntum. Fortunately for us, the Carnuntum archaeological park brings those times back to life. The site offers visitors a comprehensive look at Roman frontier life, with reconstructed buildings, amphitheaters, and extensive archaeological finds that bring this once-mighty provincial capital back to life. The archaeological museum Carnuntinum, which is situated in the village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg on the river Danube, exhibits important archeological finds from the ancient city.
Other Roman Traces Around Vienna
Clearly, 400 years of Roman Vienna have left their cultural mark. Our lovely vineyards in the outskirts and our winery culture date back to the Romans. Besides wine, the Romans loved the warm sulphur springs in the Vienna Woods and set up spas there. Even today, locals unearth archeological finds on their very own soil: My brother-in-law's cousin owns a vineyard in the Vienna Woods and has found a couple of Roman coins between his vines in the past.
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