Kilometerstein replik via claudia augusta bei unterdiessen

The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

, which linked the valley of the

Po River The Po ( , ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy, starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is , or if the Maira (river), Maira, a right bank tributary, is included. The headwaters of the Po are forme ...

with

Rhaetia Raetia or Rhaetia ( , ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west wit ...

(encompassing parts of modern Eastern Switzerland, Northern Italy, Western Austria, Southern Germany and all of Liechtenstein) across the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

. The route still exists, and since the 1990s increased interest in long-distance hiking and cycling have made the German and Austrian stretches of the Via Claudia Augusta popular among tourists, with the result that modern signage (''illustration'') identifies the revitalised track. Since 2007, the ''Giontech Archeological Site'', in Mezzocorona/Kronmetz (Italy) serves as the Via Claudia Augusta International Research Center with the support of the ''Foundation Piana Rotaliana'' and the Government of the City of Mezzocorona/Kronmetz.

History

In 15 BC, the Roman general

Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (38–9 BC), commonly known in English as Drusus the Elder, was a Roman general and politician. He was a patrician Claudian but his mother was from a plebeian family. He was the son of Livia Drusilla and the s ...

, the stepson of Augustus, got orders from his stepfather to improve the passage through the Alps for military purposes and to increase Roman control over

and

Noricum Noricum () is the Latin name for the kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. In the first century AD, it became a province of the Roman Empire. Its borders were the Danube to the north, R ...

. The project of converting a pack-animal trail to serve wheeled vehicles was completed sixty years later in 46-47 AD by the son of Drusus, the Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

. People and goods could pass between the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

and the broad valley of the Po to Tridentum (modern Trento), then northward following the Adige River up to Pons Drusi, the "bridge of Drusus" which developed into

Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...

. Thence it continued towards Maia (near

Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...

), and over the

Reschen Pass Reschen Pass (, ; ) is a mountain pass across the main chain of the Alps, connecting the Upper Inn Valley in the northwest with the Vinschgau region in the southeast. Since 1919, the border between South Tyrol, Italy and Tyrol, Austria has app ...

. From the pass it descended through the valleys of the

Inn River The Inn (; ; ) is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The long river is a right tributary of the Danube, being the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Berni ...

and the Lech, just beyond Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg), with an extension to Burghoefe (Sumuntorium), now Mertingen near the Danube river and not far from the present-day town of

Donauwörth Donauwörth (; ) is a town and the capital of the Donau-Ries district in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is said to have been founded by two fishermen where the rivers Danube (Donau) and Wörnitz meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "R ...

; here the Via Claudia Augusta branched into the then important Roman military road running from West to East on the south side of the Danube river (via militaris iuxta riva danuvii or shorter via iuxta danuvii). This then important road is called by modern-day German historians Donausüdstrasse. It served to secure the Roman northern frontier, which was marked until the end of the first century by the Danube river. Two milestones have been found, one at Rabland, a ''frazione'' of Partschins, near

in the

South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...

and the other in Cesiomaggiore, near

Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...

. Both are inscribed with the far terminus of the Via Claudia Augusta, Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg). The milestones indicate that two routes joined at Tridentium before crossing the Alpine pass: one found its starting point at the ''

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

'' of Ostiglia, near the Po, the other, its site less securely identified by archaeologists and historians, at the Adriatic port of

Altinum Altinum (in Altino, a ''frazione'' of Quarto d'Altino) was an ancient town of the Adriatic Veneti, Veneti 15 km southeast of modern Treviso, close to the mainland shore of the Lagoon of Venice. It was also close to the mouths of the rivers D ...

, (near the

Venetian Lagoon The Venetian Lagoon (; ) is an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea, in northern Italy, in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Italian and Venetian languages, ' (cognate of Latin ' ), has provided the English name for an enclosed, ...

). On its way to Tridentium, that route crossed the

Via Annia The Via Annia was the Roman road in Venetia in north-eastern Italy. It run on the low plains of the lower River Po and of the lower Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, an area which had many rivers and large marsh areas and bordered the coa ...

, which linked Adria to

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

, the Via Popilia, which linked Altinum with Rimini, the Via Aurelia, between

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

and Feltre passing through

Asolo Asolo () is a town and ''comune'' in the Veneto, Veneto Region of northern Italy. It is known as "The Pearl of the province of Treviso", and also as "The City of a Hundred Horizons" for its mountain settings. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'It ...

, and the

Via Postumia The Via Postumia was an ancient military Roman road of northern Italy constructed in 148 BC by the ''consul'' Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus. It ran from the coast at Genoa through the mountains to Dertona, Placentia (the termination of the ...

, the road linking Genoa and Aquileia. This road was initiated by Drusus as a military artery of conquest and defence, and Emperor Claudius continued its development as a cultural and commercial artery with permanently populated posting stations where fresh horses would be available. Some grew into considerable settlements and were fortified during the later Empire. Others can be identified only by the findings of archaeologists. In the 2nd century AD, a second Alpine pass was opened to wheeled traffic, the

Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass ( , shortly ; ) is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the Austria-Italy border, border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Alps, major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowes ...

Cities and locations along the route

,
Alter Donauhafen * Mertingen * Meitingen * Augusta Vindelicorum (

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

) * Langweid am Lech *

* Königsbrunn *

Landsberg am Lech Landsberg am Lech (Landsberg at the Lech (river), Lech) is a Town#Germany, town in southwest Bavaria, Germany, about 65 kilometers west of Munich and 35 kilometers south of Augsburg. It is the capital of the district of Landsberg (district), Lands ...

Epfach Epfach is a village and former municipality () located on the left bank of Lech, in the municipality of Denklingen in the Upper Bavarian District of Landsberg, Bavaria, Germany. History Around 14 BCE there was, near the present village, on th ...

* Kinsau * Hohenfurch * Altenstadt * Burggen *

Roßhaupten Roßhaupten is a municipality in the district of Ostallgäu in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the A ...

* Füssen * Vils * Pinswang *

Musau Musau is a municipality in the district of Reutte in the Austrian state of Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the Cou ...

* Pflach * Wängle * Lechaschau * Höfen * Reutte * Breitenwang * Ehenbichl * Heiterwang am See * Bichlbach-Lähn-Wengle * Lermoos * Ehrwald * Biberwier * Fernpass * Nassereith * Tarrenz * Imst * Karrösten * Karres * Imsterberg * Mils bei Imst * Schönwies * Zams * Landeck * Stanz - Grins * Tobadill * Fließ * Prutz * Ried im Oberinntal * Tösens *

Pfunds Pfunds is a municipality in the district of Landeck (district), Landeck in the Federal states of Austria, Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol located 19.7 km south of the city of Landeck and 5 km north of the border to Switzerland. Th ...

* Nauders – Finstermünz * Reschenpass *

Glurns Glurns (; ; ) is an urban ''comune'' (''Stadt'') in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northwest of Bolzano. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Geography As of 30 November 2010, it ha ...

* Partschins, Rabland, Töll * Algund *

* Vilpiano * Nals * Andrian * Terlan * Eppan *

* Laives * Bronzolo * Auer * Neumarkt * Kurtatsch * Margreid an der Weinstraße * Salorno *

Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...

* Lamon * Feltre *

* Rovereto

Cycle touring

Today the Via Claudia Augusta is an important route used by cyclists to cross the Alps. It starts in Donauwörth (Germany) and branches near Trento into two routes. The first and historically correct route ends in Ostiglia, the second and more popular one in Venice. The length of the trail is approximately . As a special service there are bus shuttles that take bicycles and cyclists over both the Fern Pass and the

, which are the most demanding parts of the route.

Notes

External links

Omnes Viae
The Brenner Pass route as found on the Peutinger map

(German)
Via Claudia Augusta in Tyrol
(German)
Photographic Documentation of the Via Claudia Augusta between Königsbrunn and Epfach

Photos and Route Description for Cyclists
(German)
Via Claudia Augusta South TyrolBicycleRoutes&Tours: Via Claudia Augusta Cycle Route
with map, GPS download, elevation chart, sights and cyclist friendly accommodation (English and German) {{DEFAULTSORT:Claudia Augusta, Via Roman roads in Italy Roman roads in Germania Cycleways in Italy Cycleways in Austria Cycleways in Germany History of Augsburg 40s BC establishments 1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic 40s establishments Claudius