The Roman sites of Gijón

Latitude: 43.5457191 Length: -5.6619716
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Octavian Augustus , the first emperor of Rome, catches the eye of passersby at the western end of San Lorenzo beach. The sculpture depicts the Supreme General of the Army addressing his subjects in a commanding pose, though it seems more like he's greeting us and inviting us to discover his historical legacy in the city: the Campo Valdés thermal baths, the Roman villa of Veranes, or the rich archaeological site of Campa Torres.

What has always been known is the Roman wall erected within the urban center of Gijón. Built between the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th centuries, it enclosed the old city , what is now the Cimadevilla neighborhood, extending from the beach (near the Church of San Pedro) to the fishing pier to the west. Its perimeter was approximately one kilometer.

Roman terms

Within these walls, beneath the esplanade in front of the Church of San Pedro, you can visit the ancient Roman Baths of Campo Valdés , public baths where the inhabitants of old Gijón spent part of their leisure time . The baths are a late 1st and early 2nd century construction . They are considered the most important Roman ruins discovered in northern Spain. The current museum, located within the bath complex itself, showcases the importance of these baths in Roman culture and the construction techniques, highlighting the heating systems (hypocausts) and the mural paintings.

Gijón Roman Baths

The Gijón Thermal Baths are located within the Roman walls erected in the urban center of Gijón… Read more

Villa Romana de Veranes

Gijón's Roman heritage finds another notable example of its development in the current museum of the Roman Villa of Veranes , opened to the public in March 2007, which covers approximately one hectare . The location of this villa, on the outskirts of Gijón, reflects the needs of the time: quiet, sunny places, enlivened by the beauty of the surroundings and with an abundance of water.

The museum is accessed through a reception building that serves as the gateway to the villa's remains and houses an audiovisual room and exhibition space. The visit to the site itself is via a paved path that descends to the monument. From there, a trail leads to various observation points and its rooms. What we are actually doing is exploring ancient agricultural estates from two thousand years ago: a Roman farm, which included the residential area, or pars urbana, and the pars rustica . The former was where the lord of the villa lived, while the latter contained the areas dedicated to cultivating the land. The archaeological remains that can currently be visited in Veranes belong to the pars urbana of a large estate built during the Late Roman Empire (4th century AD) on the earlier ruins of a significant High Roman settlement. In short, a grand manor house belonging to a notable landowner, who was most likely named Veranius.

The walk through the ruins allows us to learn about daily life back then, what its inhabitants ate, how they obtained food, what kind of livestock they had, what they did in their free time… some of the rooms retain part of their original flooring, with a polychrome mosaic standing out as the jewel of the complex, measuring five square meters and very well preserved.

Although the village of Veranes dates back to the 1st century AD , its heyday was in the 4th century. Around the 6th century, the area became a church and necropolis. It was abandoned in the 14th century, and its restoration did not begin until 1997.

The Villa of Veranes

The Roman lordship and the prestige enjoyed by some of its notables were evident in their homes… Read more

The Campa de Torres

La Campa de Torres is another key site of Roman heritage in the municipality of Gijón, one of the first Asturian locations to show its connection to the empire . It is a headland located west of Gijón Bay and the Cimadevilla district, offering magnificent views of the city . This vantage point is now home to the Campa Torres Archaeological and Natural Park, where the "oppidum noega," a Celtic settlement specializing in metallurgy mentioned by Strabo, Pomponius, Mela, and Pliny , is clearly visible. In addition to admiring the early circular dwellings of the Astures, the later influence of Romanization, which definitively introduced the rectangular dwelling, is also clearly evident.

All this is clearly explained to us in an annex building that serves as a permanent exhibition, and that also has a temporary exhibition hall, workshops and assembly hall.

Clock Tower

Finally, to complete our exploration of Gijón's Roman heritage, we can visit the Clock Tower , located very close to the Roman baths. This Interpretation Center houses a permanent exhibition on the city's history . The display of historical and archaeological documents is spread across five floors and showcases over twelve years of excavations in the city and its surrounding area, as well as other evidence of urban development between the 16th and 19th centuries. The tour begins on the ground floor, where you can see remains of the Roman wall and pre-Roman artifacts found in the surrounding area.