City of Magdalensberg
N 46° 43.478 E 014° 25.743
33T E 456370 N 5174722
Here you will find the excavations and the archeological park of the City of Magdalensberg!
Please be aware of the opening times!
Waymark Code: WM9GQH
Location: Kärnten, Austria
Date Posted: 08/19/2010
Views: 15
From a wooded ridge on the eastern edge of the “Zollfeld”, one of the most significant cultural landscapes of Carinthia rises – the Magdalen mountain with an altitude of 1058m. On this mountain in 1502 the accidentally fund of a life-size bronze statue attracted special attention, and since then the attention of the neighboring citizens was focused in this area. Other findings in the subsequent period finally led from the middle of 19th century to the first excavations, led by the historical society for Carinthia, however they were discontinued by the First World War. At this time they already discovered the large size of the settlement and individual details of their construction work, including the Street of Tombs, but this led to the view, that the ruins on the Magdalensberg are a "residential colony” of the capital of the Roman province of Noricum, the Municipium Claudium Virunum (however this city is located in the “Zollfeld, a few kilometers west from here). Subsequent studies of the finds and every year since 1948 by the Austrian Archaeological Institute restarted and subsequently by the State Museum of Carinthia carried out systematic excavations have shown, that chronologically these remains here in no way correspond to that city. The city on the Magdalen mountain preceded by a good 150 years. Therefore the city on the Magdalen mountain can be seen as the predecessor of Municipium Claudium Virunum.
Today the city on the Magdalen mountain has been systematic excavated for more than 50 years and is with a large open-air museum (over 3 acres) one of the largest Roman era archaeological sites of the Eastern Alps. Within the archaeological park there are 22 individual museums in the ancient issued and partly restored buildings!
The City on the Magdalen mountain
The “City on the Magdalen mountain” was founded about 100 b.C. and given up in the middle of the first century when the City Virunum was built. The name “City on the Magdalen mountain” is not the original name. Nobody knows it. But there are two theories about it. One theory is that the town was called “Noreia” because of the battle of Noreia, mentioned by Ceasar and which is believed to took place in this area. The more and more believed theory is, that this city was called Virunum, because of a plate found there, where the letters “VIRV… “ can be identified. This also makes sense as this town was given up when the new Municipium Claudium Virunum was built and often new built Municipa took the names from settlements on hills in the near surroundings.
The City on the Magdalen mountain grew fast after the founding by the celts and got very rich, because of trading with the Romans. This high standard of living is proven by findings of oyster shells, olives and other expensive Mediterranean foods and could be achieved by selling the much questioned noric iron (ferrum Noricum).
The most popular fund in this city was the bronze statue mentioned before. It was in one piece and a few years after the fund in 1502 several copies were made. Unfortunately the original disappeared around 1850 in Spain after it was given from the emperor of Austria to the king of Spain who placed it in his gardens…
There is a lot more to tell about this great historical place, but you should find it out by yourself with a visit! ;-)
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Republic 509 B.C. - 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Adults: 5€, Childrend/Students/Sen.: 3€, Family: 11,50€, Groups (>10Pers.): 4€/Pers; Guided Tour: 1€/Pers.
Opening days/times:
Open from May 1st to October 10th!
Everyday except Mondays!
From 9am to 6pm!
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed
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