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MONUMENTS AND REST OF ANCIENT SITES
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Name |
Bridge |
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Localisation |
52,
Aretha St. and Papadiamanti St. |
Description
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The
roman bridge at Patras was discovered in the early 1980’s. It is the
best preserved two-arched bridge in Greece and composed part of the
public roman road that connected Patras with Aegion and Corinth. The
bridge is the third one that was built over the river Kaliinaos during
the ancient times, was constructed during the end of the 4th
century A.D. and was in use until 6th century A.D. when a
flood buried it along with the road. Its length is 21m, its height is
over 4m and its width 4,25m. The bridge was built with bricks but the
pillars where it stands were made of stone. The bridge’s road was paved
with slabs. For the protection from floods the bridge is exalted in its
middle while the banks of the river have anti-flood devices.
The
first one, carried out during Trajan’s building programme (A.D. 114/115)
is a single arch bridge. From the second bridge which is dated from
between 276 A.D. and 283 A.D. as it is concluded by an incorporated in
the third bridge inscription no trace was left. |
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Further information |
Free entrance |
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Name |
The aqueduct |
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Localisation |
Few positions |
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Description |
The
Roman Aqueduct at Patras is situated in the NE of the Castle. This
construction along with the wells and natural springs was to provide the
city with water. It is not known yet when exactly was constructed but it
is probable that Hadrian in the early 2nd c. A.D. presented
some major public work to the city as it is shown by an honorific
inscription. Its beginning was at the Neromana, where the sources of
the river Diakoniaris, at Romanos area, in the foothills of the mountain
Panachaikos is and following the hills through subterranean pipes and
carrying across ravines on high built arches arrives to Patras through
Pyrgo Roufou, Kamares, Gravia, Samakia and Aroe. In Kamares (in two
points), Gravia and Aroe there are two-arched built bridges for the
bridging of the dales among the hills. Its length was 7,5 km. The water
was conveyed to the city through underground pipes. |
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Further information |
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Name |
Odeum |
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Localisation |
Saint George
square |
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Description
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The
roman odeum of Patras is mentioned by Pausanias as the finest
odeum in Greece only surpassed in size and decoration by the
Odeum of Herodes Atticus in Athens. It was
constructed before 160 AD and went out of use after the 3rd
century AD. It has the cavea, orchestra, proskenion, scene and
paraskenia. The cavea, holding about 2500 spectators, has three built
stairways, four rows of seats in the lower section and seven in the
upper part. The Odeum was located in 1899 completely covered with
earth. |
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Further information |
Free entrance |
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Name |
Stadium |
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Localisation |
Iphaistou St. |
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Description |
The
Roman Stadium is situated in the north of the roman Odeum at an inclined
area. It was built during emperor’s Domitian’s times at 86 AD on the
anniversary of 100 years from the foundation of a roman colony in
Patras. The stadium occupies a wide area in the centre of Patras. Its
length is 200m and its width is 90m while it has two curves instead of
the one that the Greek stadiums had. That the two forms of contest, the
athletic and the artistic (poetry, theatre and music competitions), were
held in the Stadium is demonstrated by a mosaic floor found in a Roman
villa in the vicinity of Psila Alonia Square, the representations in
which are inspired precisely by events in the Stadium. The Stadium was
also used for gladiatorial combats known from epigraphic documents and
representations in reliefs. Nemesis wearing a corselet was the patron
goddess of gladiators. Thus, in the north of the Stadium was the
goddess’ temple. Pausanias mentioned the Stadium as theatre. |
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Further information |
The
excavations for the revelation of the monument still continue. |
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Name |
Nymphaeum |
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Localisation |
3,
Vlahou St. and Kanari |
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Description |
It
came to light a public roman building, a Nympheum. It consists of an
apse open to the North with extant height of the walls 3,67m and length
of the apse’s opening 10m. A subsequent circular low wall closed the
apse so as to be created an ellipsoid cistern which lined with
paving-stones. The flow of the water was achieved through the wall of
the apse, which was riddled with pipes, and was running down from two
holes overhead in the ends of the apse. This ellipsoid cistern is the
central part of a cluster of buildings that was surrounded by two
circular colonnades and is dated back to the 2nd century A.D.
In the early Byzantine years the place was used as a church and later as
a cemetery. |
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Name |
Nymphaeum |
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Localisation |
97,
Asim. Fotila St. |
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Description |
A
Nympheum was also discovered here. It consists of a room with an arch
and floor coated with marble. Two pipes run through the east wall of the
room. The south side of the east wall of the room has a semicircular
alcove inside of which there is another one where a water pipe ends and
used as a spout. |
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Name |
Aedes Augustalium |
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Localisation |
1,
Ileias St. |
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Description |
A
religious public building devoted to the worship of Augustus was
discovered. It is the Aedes Augustalium of Patras and dated from
the 1st century A.D. It consists of a large room covered with
coloured marble in the walls and the floor. Moreover, it was found a
large built pedestal of a statue with a marble coating. An inscription
in the north wall of the room says in latin: T(itus) Varius Secundus
Augustal(is) ob honorem s(ua) p(ecunia) |
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Further information |
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Name |
Public building |
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Localisation |
6,
Ileias St. and Panagouli |
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Description |
In
this place opposite of the Aedes Augustalium important
Hellenistic and roman buildings were discovered. In the west there is a
large room, whose part of dimensions 9,50m x 4,50m is discovered. The
walls have 0,80m width and height 4m. An internal wall with an arched
built in two sides separates the place in two parts. It is probably the
temple of Mithra, an oriental god. |
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Name |
Roman road |
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Localisation |
38-40, Geo.Roufou
St. |
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Description |
A
part of a central paved roman street was discovered. The road has
direction N-S and it came to light in 13,50m length. It is well-saved
and the west pavement is the only missing part. It is paved with
stone-slabs of different dimensions. Many of them are in second use as
they were older building material. To the north part of the excavated
road a low step is formed in all the width of the road which in this
point is 5,10m. Over the slabs of the east side of this step is carved a
little ditch that conveyed the water in a large central drain which has
an almost parallel direction with the central axis of the road and it is
under it. |
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Further information |
A
building was constructed to protect the roman road |
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Name |
Part
of the north cemetery |
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Localisation |
80-82,
Ermou St. |
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Description |
A
monumental burial building of the roman years came to light The burial
room had internal dimensions 5,60m x 3,80m, 3,60m height, covered with
cylindrical vault that held in walls of 2m width. Internally, in the
four walls of the chamber there were alcoves, four in each side except
from the SE where there was one in the right and one in the left of the
entrance. The alcoves of the long sides had four ceramic urns each while
in the other alcoves there were two urns in each side. The door of the
entrance was closed later by the Christians when they used the room as a
place for worship and created a new entrance in the SW side of the roof
with a scale and in parallel adorned the walls with frescos.
The
base which was appended in the west side of the room was
Π-shaped,
was covered by rectangular porous stones the lowest row of which
protruded 0,40m and shaped a form in the internal of the exedra that
supported by lion feet. The exedra which was used for the rest of the
visitors viewed in the burial road. In the core of the base was a grave
with a burial and rich finds.
Above
the burial chamber was placed a temple with four pillars in the front as
we can assume from the remains of the walls. In the Byzantine years over
the dilapidated roman structure a Christian church was constructed. |
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Further information |
It
was kept in the basement of the modern construction. |
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Name |
A Farmstead |
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Localisation |
103, Australias
St. |
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Description |
In
this land a part of a roman farm-house, which was expanded to the next
south building plot, was found. Ten places were revealed, in four of
them there was cistern and to three others storing jars, two of which
were soldered with leaden links. After the destruction of the farmstead,
during the early Christian years, some rooms changed into a cemetery.
The
majority of the farmsteads were situated along the three main roads
which leaded to the port of Patras; in the North the road from Corinth
and Aigion to Patras, in the East the road from Fares and Kalavryta to
Patras and in the South from Dyme and Ileia to Patras. From the port the
exportation of the wine, the oil, the wheat, the pottery, the textiles
and the products of cattle-raising was conducted. |
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Further information |
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Name |
Pottery workshop |
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Localisation |
16,
Theof.Koridaleos St, 16th Gymnasium of Patras |
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Description |
In
1300m north of the roman bridge an important establishment of small
industry/craft was discovered. There were three ceramic kilns, two
circular which dated to the roman years and one Hellenistic egg-shaped.
The kilns were intended for baking bricks and tiles. The champers of
baking and the apertures for the input of the inflammable materials were
preserved in good condition. |
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Name |
Baths |
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Localisation |
38-40, Germanou
St. |
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Description |
It
came to light a part of a cluster of roman baths. A façade of the
building with an apse construction was in the west side. The diameter
was 3,80m; the wall is saved in 4,30m height. In 1,40m from the ground
there are 13 apertures in line where probably were springs and the water
were flowing. Under the floor of this room which was paved with ceramic
slabs, there was a drainage pipe which was crossing the room and was
directed to the west. In the south of the apse was discovered a
rectangular room with a mosaic. In the east side there is an apse (3,60m
diameter). The height of the walls from the floor to the beginning of
the apse’s dome is 2,25m. The dome is saved to the height of the 0,80m.
This
construction which is dated to the beginning of the 3rd
century A.D. is founded on 8,50m depth from the today’s street and is
only 45m far from the roman odeum. |
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Further information |
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Name |
Mosaics |
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Localisation |
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Description |
A lot
of mosaics have been found in Patras. The most important of them is one
which was found in a roman villa at Ypsila Alonia. The decoration is in
two zones. The upper one depicts music competitions and the lower
athletic events. It is exhibited in the Museum. |
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Further information |
All
the mosaics will be exhibited in the new Museum of Patras |
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