Arae Flaviae

Arae Flaviae was a Roman settlement in Rottweil with temples, public buildings, and residential neighborhoods spanning a large excavated area. The site reveals how different parts of the city served distinct purposes, from religious and administrative centers to family homes.

Emperor Vespasian founded this settlement in 73 AD as a strategic post to oversee trade routes in the Roman territory. The site developed into a significant urban center serving administrative and religious needs for the surrounding region.

The name Arae Flaviae refers to altars dedicated to the Flavian imperial family, signaling the site's role as a religious center for emperor worship. Visitors can sense how central such rituals were to the daily lives of the Roman community that settled here.

The Dominikanermuseum in Rottweil displays artifacts from the excavations, including well-preserved mosaics that showcase Roman craftsmanship. Visitors can examine these objects to gain insight into local art production and the connections these people maintained with other regions.

Archaeologists discovered three temples here with an unusual architectural style that blended Roman and local building traditions. This fusion reveals how the Romans adapted to local preferences and developed new forms of religious architecture in their frontier settlements.