Clunia, also known as Colonia Clunia Sulpicia, was an ancient Roman city. Its ruins are found on Alto de Castro, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, between the villages of Peñalba de Castro and Coruña del Conde. It is located 2 kilometers from Coruña del Conde in the province of Burgos, Spain. Clunia was one of the most important Roman cities in the northern part of Hispania. Beginning in the 1st century BC, it served as the capital of a legal district called Conventus Cluniensis in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. The city was positioned along a road connecting Caesaraugusta (now Zaragoza) to Asturica Augusta (now Astorga). Clunia declined during the 3rd century and was mostly abandoned by the time of the Visigothic era. The name Clunia comes from the Arevacian language.
History
The city of Clunia was built on a hill near a Celtiberian settlement named Cluniaco, or Kolounioukou, which belonged to the Arevaci, a Pre-Roman tribe that was part of the Celtiberian group.
Clunia was constructed from the ground up. Unlike other places the Romans took over, Clunia was not built on the site of an older city or town. The city had two public baths, a basilica, a forum, many taverns and shops, a theater, and a large temple dedicated to Jupiter.
According to Livy, the site was attacked by Pompey during his battle against Sertorius in 75 BC. Pompey had to leave Clunia partly because of the weather there. After fighting Sertorius, Pompey destroyed what remained of Clunia in 72 BC. In 56 BC, Clunia came under the control of the Vacceos, but later returned to Roman rule, along with the Vacceos and Arevaci who had rebelled.
Later, during the time of Emperor Tiberius, the city was officially founded anew as part of the Roman plan to calm the region after the Cantabrian Wars. It was first given the status of a municipium, and it produced small coins, such as asses and dupondi, which featured the local quattuorviri, officials responsible for making the coins.
At some point during the reigns of Galba or Hadrian, Clunia received the status of a colonia and was named Sulpicia after Sulpicius Galba, a Roman governor of Hispania. Galba declared himself emperor in 68 AD and took refuge in Clunia during a rebellion against Emperor Nero. In Clunia, he learned of Nero’s death and his own appointment as emperor by the Roman Senate. Some writers later added the name "Galba" to the city’s name because of this. Galba later traveled to Rome from Clunia.
The Roman city of Clunia grew in importance during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, similar to other cities in northern Hispania, such as Asturica Augusta and Iuliobriga, located in the provinces of León and Cantabria. At its peak, Clunia is estimated to have had about 30,000 people.
In the 3rd century, the city gradually lost population due to the crisis of the 3rd century and the beginning of the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Evidence shows that Barbarian tribes attacked Clunia, and the city was burned by these groups toward the end of the 3rd century. These attacks, along with economic problems, likely caused Clunia to decline. However, there was no complete or violent destruction of the city. Excavations show that parts of Clunia were destroyed and not rebuilt by the end of the 3rd century. Some repairs occurred during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine, but much of the city was abandoned by the 7th century during the Visigothic era.
In 713, the city and its surrounding area were conquered by Muslim forces led by the Berber general Tariq ibn-Ziyad. Later, in 912, Christians rebuilt the city, placing their town on the site now known as Coruña del Conde, where many Roman ruins from Clunia can still be seen.
Eventually, the village of Peñalba de Castro was built. In exchange for water, which was highly valuable at the time, Peñalba de Castro received the land of the old Clunia enclave, which had few remaining ruins from the abandoned Roman city.
Archaeological remains
Clunia is an important archaeological site in the Iberian Peninsula. Its significance comes from its city layout and the timeline of cultural developments shown by the findings. Additionally, its ruins are the most representative of those found from the Roman period in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.
Archaeological work at the site began in 1915. Excavations continued in 1931 and 1958, revealing the past of one of the largest cities in Hispania. The city’s size, based on the excavations, was nearly 1.2 square kilometers, making it one of the largest Roman cities in the region. The excavations uncovered a theater carved into rock, several homes with mosaics, streets, remains of the forum buildings, and a large sewer system. Important sculptures, such as a statue of Isis and a piece of Dionysus, were also found. These items, along with many coins, stone inscriptions, Roman pottery like Samian ware, glass, and bronze objects, are now kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain and the museum in Burgos.
Urban morphology
In Clunia, as in many cities, most of the built space was used for homes. Archaeological digs have helped researchers understand how homes were arranged and identify key features of the city's layout.
Archaeologists have discovered several important structures, including:
The most notable ruin is the theater, one of the largest in ancient Spain. It was carved into rock and could hold 10,000 people. The theater was used for performances from the Classical period. Its restoration won an award in the Restoration and Rehabilitation category at the 2004–2005 Castile and León Architecture Awards. Judges praised "the careful restoration of the theater and the overall landscaping."
In Roman cities, the main streets, called the cardo maximus and decumanus maximus, often crossed near the forum, a public square surrounded by covered walkways. Here, political, business, legal, and religious activities took place. In Clunia, the forum is near the theater, where the remains of three homes, a basilica, and a market are found. Mosaics, underground living areas, and heating systems in some homes are notable. A small church built in the 17th century on top of the market damaged some of the ancient remains.
Near the forum are the ruins of large Roman baths, covered in simpler mosaics than those in homes. The heating system, called a hypocaust, is clearly visible in the bathhouses.
Beneath the city, which is not open to visitors due to its fragility, are ancient water systems and a sanctuary dedicated to a fertility god.