Between 30 April and 09 May, G.Aurelius Vindex, Legatus Italia, visited Provincia Dacia. In eight days we were able to visit some of the most important roman objectives from Romania. Near these we paid attention to the medieval areas as part of our general passion for history. We took more than one thousand of photos, but from all of them, I tried to select the representative ones. It was interesting and exciting, sometime near the adventure, with more than 2000 kilometers traversed and with many and great moments and memories.

Welcome in Dacia!

THERMAE HERCULI AD MEDIAM  
The Cerna river near Thermae Herculi.
Vindex & Sabinus.
Statue of Hercules (1847) from the old centre of the city.
Marcus Aurelius dedication to Hercules ( before the war with Marcomans).
Hotel Roman.
Vindex celebrated his anniversary to the roman baths.
Here is Vindex as Legatus Italia.
The second bath.
Modern mummy - sauna in old tradition.

The roman system of hot air evacuation.

 
THE DANUBE GORGE - IRON GATES  
Decebal (king of Dacians) statue (40 metres high) from the Danube Gorges.
Iulia Severa - Aedilis Oppidum Bucurestium.
Commemorative plaque near the Decebal statue.
On the bridge.
The remains of the pillar ( romanian side) of the Trajan Bridge at Drobeta.
ULPIA TRAIANA SARMIZEGETHUSA  
Roman altar.
Amphitheatre from Ulpia Traiana.
The result of roman baths. Vindex is more vigorous.
Ruins of temple. Altars to Diana, Juno and Hercules were found in this area.
Ulpia Traiana walls.
Liber Pater temple.
THE CORVIN'S CASTLE - HUNEDOARA.  
The castle was built in gothic style (XII - XIII th centuries).
Vindex salute you!
The castle gothic architecture.
The Chapel is considered one of the representative parts for XV century, showing a mixture between the Roman style (the polygonal shape of the altar) and the late Gothic architectural fashion.
The castle.
SARMIZEGETHUSA REGIA  
Statue of  Burebista from Orastie. The Great King of Dacians was Pompeius Magnus ally against Caesar.
Sarmizegethusa Regia - the Dacia capital.
Marcus Prometheus.
The great  calcar sanctuary.
The small andesite sanctuary.
The sacred zone.
The large circular sanctuary.
Vindex - Andesite sun.
Marcus - Andesite sun.
Dacian version of Cloaca Maxima.
Natural spring.
Dacian road.
ALBA IULIA - ANCIENT APULUM  
The She-Wolf from Alba Iulia - ancient Apulum, the headquarter of Legio XIII Gemina.
Ruins of the roman fortress.
Reenactment: Costume from XIX Century.
Reenactment: Guard of Alba Iulia.
Roman stones and altar.
ALBURNUS MAIOR  
Aurelius Vindex & Marcus Prometheus.
Vindex & Arria Carina - Aedilis Oppidum Bucurestium.
Aurelius Vindex & Iulius Sabinus.
Group: Marcus Prometheus, Aurelius Vindex, Apollonia Aquila, Arria Carina and Iulius Sabinus.
The Mines Museum.
All attentive to the guide explanations.
Roman altars and funeral stones area.
Funeral stone.
Alburnus Maior ancient logo.
Alburnus Maior - Roman Mines.
Reproduction of an intact Tabula Cerata discovered at Alburnus Maior.
The stairs down to roman mines ( 40 meters deep).
Roman mines from Alburnus Maior.
Roman mines.
L. Sertorius Nerva
Roman mines.
Aurelius Vindex.
Group - visiting the roman mines.
SIBIU - EUROPEAN CULTURAL CAPITAL 2007.  
"Roman Emperor" Hotel.
Vindex, Sabinus and Nerva.
Vindex, Prometheus and Sabinus.
Carina, Sabinus and Aquila.
Brukenthal Museum - one of the most important baroque monuments in Romania. It was erected between 1777 and 1787 as the main residence for the Governor of Trasylvania Samuel von Brukenthal.
Sibiu: Founded in 1190 near a Roman settlement ( Caedonia).
Historical centre of Sibiu.
Sabinus & Vindex.
Liar's Bridge - the first bridge in Romania to have been cast in iron (1859).
Vindex Convictus at Fagaras fortress.
CITY OF BRASOV  
Brasov - The Black Church. Back is the fortress watchtower.
Council Square.
Statue of Hunterus.
Black Church Tower.
Black Church Tower.
Brasov Fortress walls.
THE CITY OF RASNOV  
The Rasnov Citadel was built around the year 1215 by the Teutonic Knights and it was mentioned for the first time in 1331. The citadel was conquered only once in its history, around the year 1600 by Gabriel Bathory.

 
Courtyard.
 The citadel.
Fortress road.
Vindex as fortress guard.
The citadel fountain:

There is a myth attached to Rasnov Fortress. During a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Rasnov were concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Luckily, two Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were put to the task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. These two men were assured that they would be given their freedom once the well was completed. According to local legend, it took them 32 years to finish the well, but they were still killed afterwards. This famous well still sits in the centre of Rasnov Fortress, and is 143 metres deep.

 
Walkway to fortress.
CASTLES: PELES & BRAN  
Pelisor Palace.
Peles Castle:

Peles Castle was designed in the neo-Renaissance style, first by German architect Wilhelm Doderer and later by Johannes Schultz. Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman. It was originally used as the summer residence of the royal family. It also serves as the burial site of King Carol I after his death in 1914.

 
Bran Castle and the Templar Knights Church.
Bran Castle, one of the most beautiful castle in Romania, associated with the Dracula myth.

More information: Bran Castle website.
The Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of Teutonic Order in 1212. The first documentary attestation of the Bran Castle is the act issued on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The building started in 1378 as a defense against Turks and later became a customs post on the pass between Transylvania and Walachia.
Allegedly, Bram Stoker, who fashioned portions of his character Count Dracula based on aspects of Vlad the Impaler, used Bran Castle as his model for Dracula's Castle.
VOIVODAL COURT OF  BUCHAREST  
The first construction (with brick foundation) was enlarged and improved by Vlad Tepes, "the Impaler" (1448; 1456-1462; 1476), so that the surface reached up to 700 sq. m. It was Vlad Tepes who issued the document which first attested the name of the city of Bucharest (on September the 20th, 1459).
Vindex, Vlad the Impaler and Prometheus.
Visiting the ruins.
Sabinus, Vlad the Impaler and Vindex.
Manuc's Inn is the oldest operating hotel building in Bucharest. The inn was built in 1808.
Courtyard of Manuc's Inn.
Taking a coffee.
The Palace of Justice was built between 1890-1895 in French Renaissance style, according to the plans of the architect A. Ballu. The construction was finished by the great Romanian architect Ion Mincu. The statues at the entrance are the work of K. Storck and symbolize the Law, the Righteousness, the Justice, the Truth, the Force, the Prudence.
ROMANIAN VILLAGE MUSEUM  
Rural house from XVIII Century.
Interior of the house.
Rural house from XVIII th century.
FESTIVE DINNER  
Restaurant - folklore tradition.
Iulia Severa, Arria Carina and Fabius Montanus.
Vindex talking with Iulius Probus.
Our gift to Vindex.
Novi romani from Dacia.
Maria Bellatrix and Apollonia Aquila.
Lucius Sertorius Nerva.
Group: Iulia Severa, Fabius Montanus, Arria Carina, Maria Bellatrix, Iulius Probus, Aurelius Vindex, Marcus Prometheus, Prometheus Dacicus, Sertorius nerva and Apollonia Aquila.
NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM - LAPIDARIUM  
Museum hall.
Trajan Forum model.
The first level of museum is reserved exclusively to the cast copy of Trajan's Column, achieved at the scale 1:1 after the original Column in Rome. The cast copies are the work of Vatican craftsmen and was made between 1939 and 1943, and brought to Bucharest in 1967.
Lapidarium.
Trajan's Column scenes.
Visiting the Lapidarium.
Aurelius Vindex.
Marcus Prometheus and Aurelius Vindex.
Suovetaurilia - one of the most sacred and traditional rites of Roman Religion: the sacrifice of a pig (sus), a ram (ovis) and a bull (taurus) to Mars to bless and purify land.
Trajan performing a ritual.
Beer Wagon - restaurant.
Vindex waiting his beer.
Marcus Prometheus.

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