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aThe summit of the hil l on which Segobriga is based had to be the location of the celtiberic fortress that shall begun origin to the city. It is protected to the south by the deep natural trench excavated by the river Gigüela. When the city was urbanized, it became the acropolis, where it is supposed to be built a temple dedicated to the protecting goddess of the city. Nowadays, in this place it is just preserved a part of a muslim tower. From here there is a magnificent view, and the observer can appreciate the topography of the city, its walls and its water reservoirs.

The necropolis of Segobriga, as in other roman cities, is located out of the wall, in the proximity of the roads. The most monumental cemetery was near “El Yuncal” drain, in the Northwest side of the city, where some mausoleums are preserved. The Northeast necropolis is more important, extending from Interpretation Centre till ancient Museum. The funerary areas are from roman period; even the greatest number of tombs belongs to visigothic one. The origin of the Visigothic Basilica reports to a martyr burial. The building has three aisles and there is a crypt under the apse. In the central ais le there are several Episcopal tombs, one of them today reconstructed.

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Segobriga is one of the best-preserved Roman cities and the most important archaeological site of our Spanish Meseta. Since Ist century A.D. it became a neurological centre of communication, agricultural and mining and the administrative capital of a great territory. It was later abandoned due to the Islamic conquest of Spain. Here we can highlight the Roman Amphitheatre and Theatre, where we can see a very well preserved gradin, the city Wall and its gates, two thermal building or Roman Baths, and, above all, the Forum. From the top of the hill, we can also enjoy a wonderful view of the city and the surroundings. All this monuments can be visited along a signed route with explanatory posters.

Archaeological Park of Segóbriga. Saelices, Cuenca. Km 104 road Madrid – Valencia

Interpretation Centre is adapted to handicapped persons. INFORMATION Tel. 629.752.257 e-mail: segobriga@dipucuenca.es Timetable: Winter (1 October to 31 March): Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Summer (1 April to 30 September) Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 AM to 3.00 PM and from 4.00 PM to 6.00 PM. Close on Mondays, unless festive.

Acces to Park 45 minutes before closing hours. Diputación Provincial de Cuenca C/ Aguirre, nº. 1 16001 Cuenca

In order to make the visit to Segobriga, more rewarding and to help the visitor to understand it better, a modern Interpretation Centre was created at the entrance of the archaeological park. In the hall, the origin and history of the city is explained through interesting texts on its society, its mining economy, its main monument, its daily life and its religion. An illustrated guide book, post cards and other souvenirs, can help the visitor to remember the old city of Segobriga, “head of the Celtiberia”.

DIPUTACIÓN PROVINCIAL DE CUENCA

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The Amphitheatre was built in front of the Theatre, and both flanked the gate of the city. It has an irregular elliptic form, 75 metres long, which makes it the biggest monument of Segobriga, with a capacity of 5.500 spectators. Two gates led the arena, which is separated of the gradin by a high podium for spectators protection. A covered corridor joined the gates and the rooms where wild animals for the show were stored.

The Theatre was probably started to be constructed in Tiberian time and was finished with Emperor Vespasian circa 79 A.D. The well-preserved tiers of seats lie in the cline of the hill and it was divided in three sections, which, in turn, were sub-divided in parts to differentiate the inhabitant social classes. The upper cavea was built on the city Wall, through a vault used as street. It preserves the orchestra, with three tiers of honour places for authorities, and the wooden stage. Behind this, there was a monumental stage scenery decorated with two levels of columns and marble sculptures. The goddess Roma was located in the central position.

Segobriga was surrounded by a wall of 1.300 metres. It was built in Augustan time, when the city became a Roman municipium. It had several gates: the main Northern one, another in the Western part and a third Eastern one next to a big octagonal tower built near the Theatre. The main gate allowed the direct access to the city Forum. It was built with ashlars masonry and had one or two arches for carriages and walkers. Underneath we find the sewers of the city.

A great crypto-portico was built in front of the main city gate. It was an underground structure of wide walls that was used to support one of the Forum porticos which surrounded Public Square of the city. Inside the Crypto-portico we found square plinths which were used to support the upper floor. Possibly it was used as a ‘tabularium’ o city’s archive whose entrance was built through two symmetric gates from the main street. To the North of the Crypto-portico and separated by one street, there is another subterranean construction. It contains supporting square ashlars that hold the upper floor. A building with exedra was made at the forum level located next to the wall.

These baths were built in Augustan time between the Theatre and the parallel street that runs to the city wall. They were inspired by Greek Gymnasium, and their function was to educate young people and bring them closer to Imperial cult. There are a changing room with its pigeon holes for clothes, a dry circular sauna with one basin in the centre to be cooled with cold water and a sauna with a swimming pool or bath to the North, with furnace in the lower level. Next to the wall gate laid the latrines, whose little canal expelled water outside.

The Eastern side of Segóbriga’s Forum was occupied by the civil Basilica, place in which the large commercial operations were carried out and where the magistrates dispensed justice. The Basil ica had three naves separated by rows of columns. It is one of the largest administrative buildings of the city. It was built at the same time as the Forum, towards 15 B.C. and lodged in its ends two small temples or ‘aedes’ devoted to the worship of the emperor and his family. There was an access to them, by means of three sections of stairs that are preserved ‘ in situ’ in its Southern s ide.

The Forum or square of the city was a rectangular space place towards the Eastern part of the main street. It was surrounded by a colonnade supported by big columns from which people access to the most emblematic monuments of the city, because this was the most important social and political centre of Segobriga. Its construction began in Augustan time as part of the program for urbanization of the city. The person who paid the square pavement was Proculus Spantamicus. A big inscription with his name in bronze letters reminds this action, and it was located in front of a square monument with a statue in the centre of the Forum.

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This basilical Aula was built in Emperor Vespasian time (69-79 A.D.) and it is located westward to the main street and opposite the Forum. The entrance had a big staircase. It had three aisles supported by ten Corinthian columns with fluted shafts. The central one, wider than the others, ended in a big apse started with three steps to highlight the central statue. At the back of the central aisle there was a bench next to the wall that was used to put religious and votive offerings.

The Monumental Baths were built at the end of the Ist century A.D., for hygienic reasons but also as places to spend spare time and for business. A stepped street runs to the palestra or colonnade patio to practice exercises. From here one could go to the changing room that had a pool in the centre. After this room successively we find the frigidarium or cold water room, the tepidarium or tepid water room, that the caldarium or hot room and, finally, the dry sauna located under the hermitage of the Virgen de los Remedios. In the Northern side, the rooms were used by workers to store wood for the furnaces for warming up water.