Lauriacum, Ancient Roman military settlement in Enns, Austria.
Lauriacum served as a major Roman legionary fortress and civilian settlement along the Danube frontier in the province of Noricum, housing approximately 6,000 soldiers of the legio II Italica and featuring extensive fortifications, public buildings, and residential areas.
Established around 200 AD when the legio II Italica built a legionary camp measuring approximately 1,770 by 1,305 feet (539 by 398 meters), Lauriacum remained continuously occupied by Roman troops through the fifth century and served as a bishop's seat for northern Noricum during the settlement's final decades.
The settlement became a municipium in 212 AD and developed into an important center for both military administration and Christian worship, with archaeological evidence revealing early church structures from the fourth and fifth centuries, including remains preserved beneath the Basilica of St. Lawrence.
The archaeological site is located along Lorcher Straße and Westbahnstraße in Enns, with extensive artifacts and excavation findings displayed at the Lauriacum Museum, which received the Austrian Museum Prize in 1988 and offers educational programs, guided tours, and wheelchair-accessible facilities for all visitors.
Lauriacum represents the only legionary camp ever established in the Roman province of Noricum and features the ground plan of complete military fortifications, including four gate towers, 24 wall towers, barracks, hospital facilities, and a forum that served as the commercial hub for the frontier community.
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