Virunum
The Municipium Claudium Virunum was a Roman city in the Roman province of Noricum in the area of today's Zollfeld near Maria Saal in Carinthia .
history
Virunum was founded around the middle of the first century AD under Emperor Claudius as the capital of the province of Noricum and replaced the city on the Magdalensberg , from which it probably took its name. The city was on the connecting road from the Adriatic Sea to the Danube , from which there is a junction through southeast Carinthia to the Amber Road. It was built on a flood-proof terrace on the edge of the Zollfeld, parts of the city extended to the Töltschacher Hügel in the east of the city.
The city had Latin citizenship and was the seat of the provincial governor ( procurator Augusti provinciae Norici ) until the second half of the 2nd century . After the Marcomann Wars , the provincial administration was moved to Ovilava ( Wels ), only the financial administration remained in Virunum . With the division of the province of Noricum by Emperor Diocletian , Virunum again became the provincial capital, this time of inland Noricum ( Noricum mediterraneum ). From 343 Virunum is attested as a bishopric. The city's decline is not well known. Since it was in the valley and was unpaved, at least some of the residents moved to the surrounding mountain ranges ( Ulrichsberg , Grazerkogel ) in the course of the 5th century . In the 5th century Teurnia (on the Lurnfeld am Holzer Berg in the district of St. Peter in Holz of the municipality of Lendorf ) is mentioned as the capital of Noricum .
The territory belonging to the city comprised Central and Eastern Carinthia as well as parts of Styria and was around 9,000 square kilometers in size. The usual administrative bodies, such as the municipal council, magistrates and dual mayors ( II viri iure dicundo ) are also known by name in some cases in Virunum .
description
The city itself covered around one square kilometer. The first excavations were made in the second half of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, but there are insufficient reports about this. Extensive systematic excavations took place from the end of the 19th century to 1931. After that, intensive excavation activities were only resumed at the end of the 20th century with the uncovering of the amphitheater.
The city is traversed by a right-angled road network, the main axis runs SSW-NNE. The excavated forum and capitol lie on this. Two blocks to the west of it have also been excavated, in them a Dionysus mosaic of almost 30 square meters has been uncovered. The streets of the city were not paved. Sewers, lead pipes and public wells are evidence of a good water supply and disposal.
At places of worship, a dolichenum has been excavated next to the capitol and two mithraea are proven by inscriptions. The early Christian church, which was only suspected for a long time , was recently found in the north of the city. It is probably the oldest Christian cult building in Inner Noricum . In summer 2012 excavations were carried out at the episcopal center. It is about three quarters of a hectare complex, a bishop's palace with a double church complex. "It is very likely that this is a third church complex." In autumn 2012, the area should be scanned with a ground penetrating radar .
On the slope of the Töltschach hill there is a stage theater, the only theater known in Noricum up to now . There is also a long-elliptical amphitheater . Further to the east there is a large building that is interpreted as the governor's palace.
In the Prunnerkreuz on the northern edge of the city area, several Roman stones have been walled up since the 17th century.
See also
literature
- Manfred Fuchs (editor): Virunum. Collegium Scientiae, Klagenfurt 1997, ISBN 3-900743-01-0 ( Archeology Alpen-Adria . Vol. 3).
- Franz Glaser (Ed.): Celts, Romans, Carantans. Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1998, ISBN 3-85378-465-8 ( The history of art in Carinthia. Vol. 3)
- Ortolf Harl: The city map of Virunum based on aerial photographs and excavation reports. In: Yearbook of the Roman-Germanic Central Museum Mainz. 36, No. 2, 1989, 2, p. 521 ff.
- Gernot Piccottini : The Romans in Carinthia . Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1989 ISBN 3-85378-333-3 , pp. 168-183.
- Gernot Piccottini: Mithraic temple in Virunum. History Association for Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1994, ISBN 3-85454-078-7 .
- Gernot Piccottini: The Roman stone collection of the State Museum for Carinthia. History Association for Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1996, ISBN 3-85454-085-X .
- Gernot Piccottini: Virunum ; with contributions by H. Dolenz, F. Glaser and R. Jernej. In: M. Šašel Kos, P. Scherrer (eds.): The Autonomous Towns in Noricum and Pannonia - The autonomous towns in Noricum and Pannonia: Noricum , Situla 40 (2002) pp. 103-134.
Web links
- Virunum at the University of Klagenfurt
Individual evidence
- ↑ Heimo Dolenz , Robert Scholger, Erich Niessner: The early Christian church in the Municipium Claudium Virunum. New findings from aerial photo analysis, geophysical and archaeological investigations. In: Rudolfinum. Yearbook of the State Museum of Carinthia 2006. ISBN 978-3-900575-38-0 , pp. 83-93 ( PDF on ZOBODAT ).
- ↑ Virunum: Ancient Bishop's Center discovered , kaernten.orf.at, August 25, 2012
- ↑ Virunum bigger than you thought? , kaernten.orf.at, December 14, 2018
Coordinates: 46 ° 41 ′ 57 ″ N , 14 ° 21 ′ 54 ″ E