Castra Germisara, Roman military fort in Cigmău, Romania.
Castra Germisara is a Roman military fort in Cigmău with a trapezoidal layout and walls spanning about 320 meters on an elevated terrace along the northern bank of the Mureș River. The complex covers roughly 4 hectares and displays the standard design of a Roman auxiliary fortress with distinct sections for various military operations.
The fort was established in the 2nd century as a key military base in Dacia Superior and later became part of the Dacia Apulensis administrative region. Its location along a strategic river bend made it essential for Roman control of the area across several centuries.
The name Germisara comes from Dacian language elements referring to thermal springs, showing how Romans incorporated local features into their military site names. This choice reveals how the Romans adapted to and acknowledged the existing landscape and its resources.
The foundations and archaeological remains are visible on site, though the location is partly overgrown and most easily accessed from the river side. Military inscriptions and objects discovered here are displayed at the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization in Deva, where visitors can see a fuller picture of the garrison's history.
The fort contains two notably oversized storage buildings west of the headquarters, larger than typical dimensions found at other Roman auxiliary sites. This exceptional storage capacity suggests the garrison served as a supply hub for other military units in the wider region.
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