Via Claudia Augusta

The Via Claudia Augusta was one of the most important Roman roads that linked southern Germany with northern Italy. From the fort " Submuntorium " at the castle courtyards, south of Mertingen, where she was joined near the Danube to the east runs from west Roman Donausüdstraße, she followed up the river the course of the Lech River on the capital of the Roman province of Raetia, Augusta Vindelicorum (now Augsburg ) to Füssen. From there she moved on the distance and Reschenpass the Adige to follow this up Trent ( Tridentum ). Here shared the road. The western strand reached Verona at the Po Ostiglia ( Hostilia ), the eastern about the Feltre the Adriatic Altino ( Altinum ). A significant point of intersection of this ancient road was Abodiacum, today Epfach on Lechrain where the line passing through Raetia east-west highway from Salzburg to Brigantium (today Bregenz) the Lech crossed.

History

Emperor Augustus had BC conquer the unconquered areas of the Alps and the northern Alpine foothills between the Inn and the southern Black Forest in the year 15 of his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus. In order to develop the new, later called province of Raetia the route of Feltria / Feltre on Tridentum ( Trento ) and the Reschenpass, the Upper Inn Valley and the Fern Pass already was then expanded to Lech. Finalized, consistently passable for wagons, renewed and extended to the Danube, the road was under Emperor Claudius.

The Via Claudia Augusta was in the first two centuries AD, the most important connection between the Adriatic / Po Valley and the western foothills of the Alps. Of particular importance was the road for the Roman imperial post. It was monitored as usual by the Benefiziariern, a layer formed of retired legionaries traffic police, who had to provide for the preservation of the road and for the safety of their users. Over the years, formed along the street a lively infrastructure. It originated Inns and horse changing stations ( mansiones, mutationes ), which grew to cities over the years in part.

With the expansion of Via Raetia over the Brenner Pass, Teriolae / Zirl, Partanum / Partenkirchen and Urusa / Raisting the Via Claudia Augusta lost from the 2nd century as the crossing of the Alps in importance, however, remained for many centuries to the Middle Ages a regionally important transport route. In the Tabula Peutingeriana that maps the state of about 375 AD, but it is not recorded, nor on the card of the Romweg Erhard Etzlaub from the year 1500. Was built in 1430 ran less than 10 percent of trade between Augsburg and Venice on the " upper road ".

Traces of the Via Claudia Augusta can be found even today along almost its entire route.

From the year 46 AD originates the famous landmark of the Emperor Claudius, who was found in 1552 in Rabland ( Parcines near Merano ). It is the oldest Roman font monument in the Alps, which refers directly to the construction of the military road. In Töll the existence of a customs house is occupied. In Hochhuebenhofn in Partschins a Roman grave stone walled. An officer of the customs station on the Töll immortalized in this way his first-born son, who was only 21 years and 11 months old become. Opposite the courtyard Roman tombs and coins had been found.

In Osterreinen in the municipality of vineyards on Forggensee example, the route runs along the bottom of the pent-up Forggensee 1954 and is again clearly visible during the winter Abstaus. During the supervisors thaw in the spring they can be seen at a water level of about 775 m above sea level for a short time as running in the water dam.

Cities and towns along the route

  • Schönwies
  • Zams
  • Landeck
  • Punching - Grins
  • Tobadill
  • Prutz
  • Ried in the Upper Inn Valley
  • Toesens
  • Pound
  • Nauders - Finstermünz
  • Reschenpass
  • Glurns
  • Rabland, Töll
  • Lagundo
  • Merano
  • Vilpian
  • Nals
  • Andrian
  • Terlan
  • Appiano
  • Bolzano
  • Leifers
  • Branzoll
  • Auer
  • Neumarkt
  • Kurtatsch
  • Magrè
  • Salurn
  • Trent
  • Feltre
  • Altinum

Bridges

Along the highway several ancient bridges have survived in whole or in part:

  • Bridge of Susegana Susegana (Veneto )
  • Bridgehead in Algund (South Tyrol )

Revitalization

Mid-1990s, the Via Claudia was rediscovered and revitalized in a cross-border tourism and cultural cooperation. Especially for cultural and culinary tourists interested in the distance is thought, some deal with the bike.

In the German part of the route is mostly very well signposted, implemented between Augsburg and feet throughout with new signs for ADFC and FSGV, under the INTERREG IIIb project. Also in the Austrian part of the route is mostly marked and documented. In Italy, the signs for the Via Claudia are rare to find. In all states in part, the signs / markings are missing due to vandalism or construction work. For cyclists travel on the Fern Pass and Reschenpass temporarily shuttle buses with bicycle transportation.

Replica Lech (river) Altino, Abruzzo Nero Claudius Drusus Cursus publicus Rieden am Forggensee Altenstadt, Upper Bavaria Vils, Tyrol Ried im Oberinntal Pfunds Laives Bronzolo Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club
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