The era of the Romans in Cartagena!

The east coast of Spain is probably one of the most tourist destinations in the country, attracting tons and tons of visitors every year. Nearly every foreigner has visited or heard of Catalonia and the Valencian Community - but few people have visited or heard of Murcia from a beautiful, historic Spanish city called Cartagena. This beautiful old town has always played an important role in Spanish history due to its location. The city still has many historical remains, which tell the visitors a lot about its relevance in the past, which makes Cartagena a charming city and definitely worth a visit. Get to know this Roman city less than an hour's drive from Nelemans office!

Cartagena is a Spanish city and an important naval station in the Murcia region, on the Mediterranean coast, in southeastern Spain. In January 2018, it had 213,943 inhabitants, which is the second largest municipality in Murcia. It is the first of a number of cities that eventually received the name 'Cartagena' - notably Cartagena de Indias (Cartagena of the Indies) in Colombia.

With over 3,000 years of history, Cartagena has been the scene of some of history's most incredible passages. Every corner, street and square of the city offers travelers great examples of its wonderful historical past. Today, this Punic, Roman, military and modern city offers a lot to see and do.

The city had its heyday during the Roman Empire when it was known as Carthage Nova (the New Carthage) and Carthage Spartaria, the capital of the province of Carthaginensis. This ancient civilization has left much of its unique artistic heritage in Spain, with several attractions in Cartagena such as the Roman Theater - the second largest in the Iberian Peninsula after that of Mérida (the capital of Extremadura). I will tell you in detail about some of these Roman monuments that make Cartagena such a unique city on the Mediterranean coast.

The Roman Forum District or the Roman Forum District is one of the largest urban archaeological sites in Spain. I warmly recommend that you take a walk through the old sidewalks of Carthage Nova and explore the different rooms of the thermal baths of the port, the entrance gate of which retains the original floor. You can also discover what the banquets were like in the Roman Empire during a visit to the building of the Atrium with its high walls and decorations.

In 1990, the first remains of one of the most impressive monuments of the city of Cartagena were accidentally discovered. It is one of the largest and most extensive Roman theaters in Spain and Europe, after the amazing one in Merida.

It was built in 44 BC, when Octavian Augustus was still emperor, and Cartagena was a Roman colony that went through a period of high population density and economic development. Due to its location, the theater has gone through different periods of history, from the Roman Empire to the present. There were, of course, overlapping constructions from each of the historical periods. The Roman theater was built almost entirely in the rocks on a hill. Thanks to the reuse of the remains of the theater in the 5th century, 60% of the authentic materials of the theater have been preserved. Visitors can also find Greek marble sculptures from Rome.

Go back in time and definitely visit Cartagena, enjoy!

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