Lancia, Roman city archaeological site in Villasabariego, Spain

Lancia, the most important city of the Astures, lies on a plateau between the Porma and Esla rivers near Villasabariego, about 14 km from León. Visible today are low, ruined walls of rough-hewn grey, tan and brown stone tracing rectangular room outlines; a flat wooden plank rests diagonally on the ground near the centre. The site is a Bien de Interés Cultural and excavations continue.

The settlement emerged during the early Roman expansion and grew as a commercial center along a vital trade corridor. It underwent repeated reconstructions and reinforcements before eventually being abandoned as Roman influence declined in the region.

The remains are scattered across the site, so it takes some imagination to reconstruct what the ancient town looked like. Bring some background reading or local information with you to better interpret what you see and make sense of the archaeological evidence on the ground.