Castra ad Montanesium is a ruined
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 ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
fortress in the town of
Montana, Bulgaria
Montana ( bg, Монтана ) is a town in northwestern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Montana Province. On the 2021 census, it had a population of 36,455.
Names
When the town was first settled by Slavs it was known as Ku ...
. It was built as the town grew to greater importance as a Roman settlement.
Description
The site is located in the southwest part of Montana on Kaleto Hill, on the way to the
Ogosta Dam and near the dam wall. The site is still being investigated, but can be visited. Near the entrance of fortress are the ruins of the basilica. The built tourist path passes along it and leads to the fortress walls, behind which there is another church, though it is smaller.
History
The fortress was constructed in the first century AD to give a defensive buff to the Roman town of ''Montanesium''. During the reign of
Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
(306-337) an early Christian basilica was constructed adjacent to the complex.
Between 440 and 490, the northwest of modern Bulgaria was devastated by the raids of the
Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
, under
Attila, and the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
. Later raids by the
Slavs and
Avars between 500 and 560 resulted in the destruction of the fortress down to its foundations, along with most of Montanesium.
In the early 2010s, an initiative was undertaken to restore parts of the basilica and fortress, as a part of the second stage of the EU's Regional development program.
Significance
The fortress is a central part of Montana's history, culture and tourism, being one of the oldest and most impressive structures in the town.
The fortress walls appear at the top of Montana's coat of arms. The Roman goddess
Diana also appears on the coat of arms, showing the town's still present Roman influence.
References
{{reflist
Castles in Bulgaria
Buildings and structures in Montana Province
Roman legionary fortresses in Bulgaria