Romans in Benidorm

Romans in Benidorm

EL TOSSAL: Toni Perez and councillors visit the site of a small Roman fort built in the First Century BC Photo credit: Benidorm town hall

EL TOSSAL at the end of the Poniente beach in La Cala de Benidorm was once a Roman fort.
Amateur archaeologists found evidence of Benidorm’s Roman past decades ago but only more recent excavations by archaeological experts have built an accurate picture of El Tossal’s past.
Its importance was recently the subject of an in-depth article in the Spanish Archaeological Archive (AESPA), Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez revealed recently.
The article compiles and interprets all the information obtained during successive excavations, also focusing on their architectural aspects.  The authors made a very positive appraisal of Benidorm town hall’s commitment to excavating the site and making it visitable, the mayor said.
The most recent excavations, begun by Alicante in 2013 and still ongoing, showed that El Tossal was a small fort occupied by troops loyal to Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate from the Iberian peninsula.
The surrounding walls, living quarters and the items  found, including what had once been a sandal, confirmed that the remains dating back to around 77BC were undoubtedly of military origin.
“The AESPA article endorses everything we have been carrying out at El Tossal and it is also an incentive to continue with our plans for an open-air museum,” Toni Perez declared.

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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