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 ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

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 r ...

and later a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

's seat at modern

Windisch Windisch may refer to: * Windisch (surname) (including a list of people with the name) * Windisch, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Aargau * Windisch (ethnonym), German word Wends for Slavs * Windisch Kamnitz, German name of Srbská Ka ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

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

Brugg , neighboring_municipalities = Gebenstorf, Habsburg, Hausen, Holderbank, Lupfig, Riniken, Rüfenach, Schinznach, Untersiggenthal, Villigen, Villnachern, Veltheim, Windisch , twintowns = Rottweil (Germany) , website ...

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 ( grc, πυρά; ''pyrá'', from , ''pyr'', "fire"), 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 ...

graves dating to the late

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

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

Helvetii The Helvetii ( , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celts, Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their Switzerland in the Roman era, contact with the Roman Republic in the ...

fortified village on the peninsula between the

Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descend ...

and

Reuss Reuss may refer to: *Reuss (surname) *Reuss (river) in Switzerland *Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss *Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line (House of Reuss), members incl ...

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 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 a civil war, and ...

or the 15 BC

conquest of the Alps The territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire for a period of about six centuries, beginning with the step-by-step conquest of the area by Roman armies from the 2nd century BC and ending with the Fall of the We ...

. 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 stationed until 101. After this date, 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 divot 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 ar ...

. 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 (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) 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 ...

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

Roman bath In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large imperial bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed in great numbers throughout ...

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