Original scientific paper
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF URBANISM IN TARSATICA AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN PERIOD OF THE SETTLEMENT
Nino Novak
; Ministarstvo kulture Uprava za zaštitu kulturne baštine Konzervatorski odjel u Rijeci, Užarska 26, 51000 Rijeka
Abstract
Ancient Tarsatica was founded as civitas peregrinorum during the second half of
the 1st century along the right bank of the Rječina River right on its mouth in the Bay
of Kvarner, on the site of a prehistoric harbour of Veli Vrh, Pulac, Trsat and Sv. Križ
hillforts. Reasons for founding the settlement should be looked in maritime commercial
tradition and prehistoric continental route along the f low of the Kupa River. Originally
an ancient statio along the Aquileia - Tergeste - Senia - Siscia route grew into a
settlement with all known urban achievements; organised necropolises, mercantile
harbour (emporium), urban villas of which the author emphasises the one with classical
architectonic composition situated at the very centre of the city. Considering all the
data, its triclinium was transformed in Late Antiquity into a sacral room of funerary
character - an Early Christian oratorium.
Late Roman military headquarters within the system known by the name of Claustra
Alpium Iuliarum or Fortress Wall of the Iulian Alps located in the historic core of the city
of Rijeka were an especially significant military point since the middle of the 3rd century.
Leads exist that the transformation of urban into military character of the settlement
took place as soon as the end of the 2nd century. Researches into modular characteristics
of the Tarsatica Principia enabled the assumption of an ideal original insula existing on
both sides of the decumanus street. An Early Christian religious complex existing in the
city in the 5th century was located at today’s Pul vele crekve Square. The Church of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the ruins of the three-naved basilica
with a roofed narthex and annexes of memorial character. The f loors of the basilica
(dating from the 5th century) were covered in mosaics with geometric motifs, and the
building itself indicates continuation of building tradition towards the Middle Ages, as
well as an early reception of Christian religion in the Kvarner area.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
47217
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2009.
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