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Of castros and romans
Roman Bridge (Ourense)
The Roman roads network
One of the biggest engineering works that the Roman Empire left is the road
network that ended up joining the furthest places of the empire with its capital.
These roads contributed to give unity to the territory and made its occupation
and exploitation easier, as well as to guarantee the mobility of troops, people
and goods.
These Roman roads were especially cared for, with a route that avoided the
depths of valleys or peaks, always trying to keep a stable level, without big
inclines. In their construction, a wide platform and several layers were disposed,
in order to give stability and an optimal levelling. Opposite to what is usually
believed, they were not paved nor cobbled, except for some specific sections.
For Gallaecia we know, through the socalled
Itinerary of Antonino, a true
road map of the era, five main roads.
The first one, the XVI, connected it
towards the south, with Lusitania, since
it joined Bracara with Olisipo, going
through Santarém, (the conventual
capital) and Aeminium (Coimbra). This
road crossed all the municipality of
Santa Maria da Feira and, north from
the Duero river, which crossed close to
its mouth, it continued through Leça de
Balio (Matosinhos) and Maia.
The other four joined, always inside
the limits of Gallaecia, Bracara with
Asturica with a different intermediate
itinerary:
- The XVII is the oldest one, with its
origin in the Augustan dynasty and a
while after the conquest- It connected
these cities through the southernmost
itinerary (without entering the current
Galician territory), through Chaves and
the vicinities of Bragança.
- The XVIII was called Via Nova
already in Roman times, what clearly
indicates that it is posterior, from the
Flavian era. Its itinerary goes north,
going up the Limia river until it connects
with the Sil and enters the region
of el Bierzo. In order to protect its
construction, it was created the military
camp of Aquis Querquennis (Bande,
50 kilometres far from Ourense),
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