There are many things that we preserve from the Roman Empire that we didn't even know came from that time, such as hair removal for example, or thermopolias which are now the classic bars with a built-in bar.
From the Romans we learned book binding, law and politics, and although there are customs of theirs that are not preserved (such as these have to do with sexuality), among us there are also things as tangible as the Segovia aqueduct. Or the town we are talking about today that has a Roman theater, amphitheater, wall, temples… And it is only an hour from Madrid.
Just 100 kilometers from the capital and 90 kilometers from Basin Saelices awaits us, a small municipality that hides the most important archaeological park on the Meseta.
The Roman Empire is in the Segóbriga Archaeological Park
This archaeological site, one of the most important archaeological complexes in Spain, has among its excavated remains all the public buildings that were an essential reference of Roman architecture. The Roman city of Segóbriga arose on the Cabeza de Griego hill, whose set of ruins was declared a national-historical monument in 1931.
After its Roman conquest in the 2nd century BC. C. became a Roman city, which after the Sertorius Wars around 70 BC. C., came to control a large territory as the capital of this entire part of the Plateau. His time of splendor was lived when Augustus decided that he deserved the status of municipality or population of Roman citizens. Some of the ruins that we can see in the archaeological park are preserved from that time.
In it we can see everything from Roman baths to temples, including a basilica, forum, theater, amphitheater, a cryptoportico or the acropolis that we can visit for free on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in winter time and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in summer time, except holidays. For the rest, Tickets can be reserved through the park's website.
A recommendation, don't miss its modern Interpretation Center because its exhibition and audiovisual hall will help you understand and interpret the archaeological remains you see, and understand the complexity and importance of this little piece of the Roman Empire that is still preserved in Spain.
But Saelices is more than Segóbriga
On a hill surrounded by flat land and with the Santa Quiteria hill, Saelices is actually Segóbriga and not the other way around, because its greatest attraction is the Segóbriga Archaeological Park, built around the Roman city of Segóbriga.
But you should not only visit the famous Segóbriga. Saelices also has a lot of charm and some of its buildings are a sample of its most traditional civil architecture and are also worth a stop. Its church of San Pedro began to be built in 1577 with a three-sided polygonal apse and a three-section tower, and a baroque main altarpiece, with two sections, with a life-size carving of the Cristo del Amparo.
The palace-house of Martínez Falero, with a rectangular floor plan and two floors with an interior patio, is also a mandatory stop, as well as the remains of the Luján castle, built in the second half of the 16th century and which we will find on the road to Villa Paz.
We are going to prepare our suitcase because this cultural destination is worth a visit this fall.
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