Viminacium

Viminacium

Viminacium, today Kostolac near Požarevac, where the Mlava flows into the Danube, we find one of the most important Roman towns and military encampments from the period from the 1^st to the 6^th century. The civilian settlement next to the encampment during the rule of Hadrian (117-138) gained the status of a municipium, a town with a high degree of autonomy.

During the reign of Gordian III (239) the town was accorded the status of a Roman citizen colony and the right to mint local currency. Such a status was the highest that could be attained by a town in the Roman Empire. Viminacium was often chosen as a mustering point for troops and a starting point in many a military campaign.

The economy of Viminacium developed quickly thanks to its location on the Danube. The exceptional finds made in the necropoles around the town (more than 14,000 graves have been found so far) confirm the belief that its citizens were very wealthy, and frescoes found in the crypts represent the peak of late classical period art. The town was devastated on several occasions, in invasions by the Goths, Huns and finally the Avars. In and around the town there have been discoveries of an amphitheatre, monumental buildings, lavish thermae (baths) and the remains of a highly-developed infrastructure, first and foremost streets, aqueducts and a sewage system. The discoveries made so far have very much affirmed the special significance of Viminacium as the leading Roman Metropolis on this part of the Danube Limes.

The archaeological site is open for visiting from the beginning of February to the end of November, during summer from 9am to 7pm, during spring and autumn from 10am to 5pm. Pre-arranged visits can be organised all year round, including outside the above dates and times.

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