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| Amphitheatre |
Today was a day for relaxing. I first visited the ruins of Itálica across the road from my hotel. One of the earliest Roman settlements in Spain, it was founded in 206 BC, the year the Romans won the decisive battle that began their conquest of the Hispanic peninsula. The area was an important producer of grain and olive oil and the city rose to high status in the first two centuries AD. Of interest to a wandering Britisher is the fact that the emperor Hadrian of Hadrian's Wall fame was born there.
The site is impressive in its size; it is one of the largest in Spain and archeological work continues. Although with the exception of the amphitheatre - which, with the addition of some computer graphics, featured in Game of Thrones - there is not much standing above ground level as it has been scoured as a source of building material over time, including for the main Seville to Merida road. Nevertheless, there are some impressive mosaics to see and it is interesting to explore the layout of a Roman city.
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| Roman Theatre |
The local museum was next, mostly Itálica related, and then the nearby Roman theatre where I had to peer through the fence as it is open only when used for local performances. Finally I visited the beautiful Monastery of San Isidoro; a mixture of architectural styles, highly decorated with frescoes and with a history that put it in the centre of religious reformation in Spain. It was a visit I had been in two minds about making as it is on the edge of town, a longish walk on a hot day, but I’m glad I did; it was ornate and beautiful and made for an interesting architectural and historical counterpoint to everything Roman. In between I explored the streets of Santiponce, settled myself in cafes and enjoyed the sunshine.
Tomorrow I am back on the road.
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