Italica
Italica is an ancient Roman city located in southern Spain, near present-day Santiponce in the region of Hispania Baetica. Founded in 206 BC by Scipio Africanus the Elder during the Second Punic War, the city was initially established as a settlement for wounded soldiers. Italica gained prominence as the birthplace of notable emperors Trajan and Hadrian, who significantly contributed to its development by granting it the status of a Roman colony known as Aelia Augusta. The city was renowned for its olive oil production, which played a key role in its economy.
Despite suffering damage from invasions in the 3rd century, Italica continued to thrive for several centuries. Excavations have revealed significant structures, including an impressive amphitheater with a capacity of 25,000 spectators, which ranks among the largest in the Roman Empire, as well as elaborate public baths and private residences adorned with intricate mosaics. The site offers valuable insights into Roman architecture and daily life, with artifacts housed in the nearby Seville museum, including portrait busts of emperors. Italica's historical significance and archaeological richness make it an important site for understanding Roman influence in the Iberian Peninsula.
Subject Terms
Italica
(Santiponce)
A city of Hispania Baetica (southern Spain), five miles northwest of Hispalis (Seville). The Roman settlement was established by Scipio Africanus the Elder in 206 BC, during the Second Punic War, to accommodate wounded survivors of the battle of Ilipa and serve as an outpost against the Lusitanians. It received municipal status from Augustus (if not earlier) and was the birthplace of Trajan (AD 98–117) and hometown of Hadrian (117–38), who elevated it to the rank of colony under the titles of Aelia Augusta, and virtually created a new city. Italica's flourishing exportation of olive oil is illustrated by numerous fragments of amphorae on the waste dump of Monte Testaccio at Rome. Although damaged by German invasions (in the 250s or 260s), the city continued to exist, and was the ancestral home of Theodosius I the Great (378–95); its serious decline began in the fifth century.
Recent excavations have enabled the site of the forum of Italica to be completely reconstructed. Its amphitheater, with capacity for 25,000 spectators, seems to have been the fourth largest in the empire. A theater (likewise outside the wall) has also been recently excavated. There are two impressive bathing establishments (the `Palaces’ and `Baths of the Moorish Queen’), served by an aqueduct bringing water from Tucci (Escacena del Campo). A group of impressive private residences, with courtyards and mosaics, has also come to light, and many other mosaics have been uncovered in a burial ground to the north of the city. The museum at Seville contains a collection of portrait busts found at Italica, including a number of representations of imperial personages.