In order to conquer and hold vast foreign territories, it was necessary for the Romans to build a massive network of roads.  Many of these can still be seen today. The Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies. At its peak, the Roman road system spanned 85,004 km and contained about 372 links.

The Romans, for military, commercial, and political reasons, became adept at constructing roads, which they called viae. They were always intended primarily as carriage roads, the means of carrying material from one location to another. These long highways were very important in maintaining both the stability and expansion of the empire. The legions made good time on them, and some are still used millennia later on. In late Antiquity these roads played an important part in Roman military reverses by offering avenues of invasion to the barbarians. These roads ran from Rome to every corner of their empire, including what is now Scotland (Caledonia), France (Gaul)  and Spain. Spain was a very important Roman colony where there build no fewer than 34 major roads.

The Via Augusta was the longest at about 1500 km.  from Cádiz in the southern tip of Spain (then called Hispania Province), to the Coll de Panissars, where it crossed the Pyrenees close to the Mediterranean Sea, and joined the Via Domitia.

The road stretched around 1,500 km, passing through the cities of Gades (Cádiz), Carthago Nova (Cartagena), Valentia (Valencia), Saguntum (Sagunto), Tarraco (Tarragona), Barcino (Barcelona), and Gerunda (Girona).

It had branches passing through Hispalis (Seville) (where it joined the Via Lusitanorum), Córdoba, and Emerita Augusta (Mérida). It was mainly a commercial road. North of Tarragona there remains a Roman Triumphal arch, the Arc de Berà, around which the road divides.

This same road had been called the Via Hercules when first build but was renamed following repairs ordered by the Emperor Augustus.  This Roman road is still in use today, we call it the A7 / N340 motorway.
 

Tietar Valley

When the Romans left Spain in 409 CE they left a legacy of some 21,000 km of major roads. There are Roman Roads all around us.  Do you know where? Would you like to go for a walk with someone who does?.  If so give David Johnston a ring on 619 732 245 or visit his website: www.walkspain.com