page_title: Bilbilis (Augusta Bilbilis)
section_title: The city and its buildings
hierarchical_section_title: Bilbilis (Augusta Bilbilis) / The city and its buildings
caption_attribution_description: English: Calatayud Museum - Roman cubiculum 50 b.C. - From Bilbilis, Insula I, Domus 2Español: Museo de Calatayud - Cubículum romano, 50 adC - Bílbilis, Insula I, Domus 2Français&#160;: Musée de Calatayud - Cubiculum romain, 50 av. J.-C. - Bílbilis, Insula I, Domus 2
context_page_description: Augusta Bilbilis was a city founded by the Romans in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. It was the birthplace of famous poet Martial c. 40 AD. The modern town of Calatayud was founded near this Roman site.
  Recent excavations have uncovered many of the impressive remains visible today which dominate the surrounding area and are testament to the city's rich past.
context_section_description: The city was laid out in Roman fashion through many costly and complex construction projects. The topography of the terrain imposed a terraced layout with steep streets, hills and ramps, in contrast to the usual rectangular grid of a Roman town. Communication between terraces was achieved through ramps for people and vehicles to move through twisting paths adapted to the slope of the hills.
  The new buildings allowed the Municipium to become the political, administrative, economic and social centre of the region. To perform these functions an urban complex consisting of arcaded square, temple, basilica and curia, and theatre was built. Baths were also built, and a complex nymphaeum based on a network of hydraulic tanks adapted to the contour of the land that provided the city with a permanent water supply.
  The middle part of the city was reserved for the main monuments, the forum and theatre. Towards this area converged the two main access roads from the gates located in the city walls, one next to the river Jalón and another near the theatre. 
  Many beautiful frescoes from the thermae (baths) and from town houses (domus) can be seen in the Museum of Calatayud.
caption: Cubiculum (bedroom) from Domus 2, Insula I, 50 BC (Calatayud Museum)
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