Vindonissa (from a Gaulish toponym in *''windo-'' "white") was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

legion camp,

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 ...

and later a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

's seat at modern Windisch,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. The remains of the camp are listed as a heritage site of national significance. The city of

Brugg Brugg (sometimes written as Brugg AG in order to distinguish it from other ''Brugg''s) is a Switzerland, Swiss Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality and a List of towns in Switzerland, town in the canton of Aargau and is the seat of the Bru ...

hosts a small Roman museum, displaying finds from the legion camp.

History

Excavations along the western edge of the Roman camp have discovered a few

funeral pyre A pyre (; ), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the pyre, which is then set on fire. In discussi ...

graves dating to the late

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

( 1000–800 BC). The first settlement of Vindonissa was a 1st-century BC

Helvetii The Helvetii (, , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. According to Ju ...

fortified village on the peninsula between the

Aare The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to i ...

and

Reuss Reuss may refer to: *Reuss (surname) * Reuss (river) in Switzerland * Imperial County of Reuss or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the People's State of Reuss * Principality of Reuss-Greiz and Principality of R ...

rivers. The settlement was protected by an approximately -long wood and earth wall, with an up to -deep trench, which stretched across the narrow neck of the peninsula. The settlement came under Roman control either after the 58 BC conquest of the Helvetii by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

or the 15 BC conquest of the Alps. A small guard-post was established on the site around 15 BC. The Roman settlement and legion camp was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added. The Legio XIII ''Gemina'' was stationed at Vindonissa until 44 or 45. With the arrival of the 21st legion ( XXI ''Rapax'') the camp was rebuilt with stone fortifications. After the 21st legion had looted the countryside in 69, it was replaced by the 11th legion ( XI ''Claudia''), which remained there until 101. After that Vindonissa was a civilian settlement, with a castle built in the 4th century. The camp established around 15 AD covered an area of about and was surrounded by an - long wooden and earthen wall with wooden gates and low watchtowers surrounded by a double

ditch A ditch is a small to moderate trench created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ...

. By 72 AD this had been replaced by a thick wall with massive gates, watchtowers and a single ditch. The first systematic excavation of the ruins began in 1896. This and later excavations discovered the ruins of several buildings and numerous artifacts. A -long Roman underground canal still provides water to the fountain at Königsfelden Monastery. Vindonissa included the largest Roman

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

in modern Switzerland, with seats for about 10,000. The foundations of the west and north walls and the remains of a Roman bath have been discovered.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 47.480464, N, 8.222051, E, region:CH-AG_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Cultural property of national significance in Aargau 10s establishments Coloniae (Roman) Roman fortifications in Raetia 10s establishments in the Roman Empire Roman fortified camps in Switzerland

History

See also

References

External links