Information
Roman Walls

The Roman city of Caesaraugusta was surrounded by a wall. Although its construction date is unknown, the current remains date from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

The wall opened with four gates, located at the ends of the Cardo and the Decumano: the gate of Toledo (West) and that of Valencia (East), the gate of the Angel (North) and that of the Arco Cinegio (South). ).

The Roman walls of Saragossa were built during the 1st century BC. in the context of the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Empire in the Iberian Peninsula. The city of Caesaraugusta, which is now Saragossa, was founded in the year 25 BC. by Emperor Augustus. The construction of the walls was part of a broader process of urbanization and planning of the new city.

The walls had several purposes: to provide security and defense for the city’s inhabitants, to demarcate the boundaries of urban space, and to serve as a symbol of Roman authority and presence in the region. They were built with stone and brick and surrounded the perimeter of the city.

The walls continued to be an essential element of the city for several centuries. However, with the decline of the Roman Empire and barbarian invasions in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, the city suffered considerable damage, including to the walls.

As the Middle Ages progressed, Roman walls lost their primary defensive function and were gradually incorporated into the evolving urban structure. In some cases, they were used as a basis for the construction of new structures. Over the centuries, parts of the original walls were destroyed, modified or simply crumbled due to lack of maintenance.

Today, although the Roman walls of Saragossa are not as visible as in their heyday, some remains of them can still be found in the historical centre of the city. At different points, archaeological excavations have been carried out that have revealed segments of the original walls and other vestiges of the ancient Roman city. These remains are valuable to understand the history and evolution of Saragossa over the centuries.