Early Roman horrea at Nauportus

Abstract

A vicus of Nauportus, situated on the northeastern edge of the territory of the colony of Aquileia, held a key position at the junction between land routes leading from northeastern Italy and Istria and water routes leading eastwards to Pannonia. The settlement of the Augustan period was built at the bend of the Ljubljanica river. It was fortified with a defense wall and towers as well as a defense ditch. An extensive square was located in the center of the site, encircled by a colonnade and large storehouses in rows. The plan of the entire settlement and the individual buildings correspond with the examples found in the Late Republican towns in northern Italy, as well as with the architecture of the ports throughout the whole Empire. It is clearly manifested in the architecture, that the settlement was a trade, traffic, storage and reloading post as well as a river port.