The discovery, a few months ago, of the remains of a monumental tomb from the 4th century at the Las Calaveras site (Renedo de Esgueva, Valladolid) is, despite its singularities, one of the numerous funerary structures built in Hispania. Roman that have come to light in recent decades, the result of archaeological investigations in ancient Roman villas built, as in this case, in rural areas. Despite society’s proven interest in Roman civilization—the bookstore shelves display an almost infinite catalog of essays and novels on this topic, not to mention the blockbuster that animates the cinemas at this time—it can be said that the ancient mausoleums Romans that are preserved (and can be visited) in the territories of Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha or Murcia are among the least recognizable elements of the vast Spanish heritage, in line with the general ignorance of citizens about the world of Antiquity.
The truth is that, given the continuous coming to light of this type of architecture, there are many questions that arise: what do we mean when we talk about mausoleums? At what point did its construction begin to become widespread in Roman Hispania? How many of these structures exist (that is known) in the Iberian Peninsula? What is its conservation status in our country? Some of these questions have a timely answer, since this type of monumental tombs—which are not exclusive to the Roman civilization, but rather earlier—have been studied in depth by historians and archaeologists. Others, such as the exact number of these mortuary structures, are more complicated to resolve for two reasons: first, because there is no record that determines exactly how many there are; the second, due to the fact that every so often a new one appears, the result of the work currently being carried out at the country’s archaeological sites.
“Mausoleums were monuments to honor, remember or protect the memory of an individual and, generally, that of other family members; Most of those we know in Roman Hispania were built in the 4th and perhaps the 5th centuries. The information provided by Professor Alexandra Chavarría Arnau answers the first questions. In reality, Roman civilization generalized the construction of these structures since the period of the High Empire (1st century BC-3rd century AD) to immediately extend the practice to the different provinces. Its value is “important” given that “they tell us, along with other elements, such as sarcophagi, about the Romanization of the elites in the funerary field,” says Chavarría, professor of Medieval Archeology at the University of Padua (Italy). What is less relevant, in his opinion, is the number of these testimonies, very numerous in any case: “There will be as many as elites could afford them and wanted to have that type of tomb.”
Identify the religious confession
In the chronological context of Roman civilization, mausoleums—that is, the monumental tombs where the aristocracy was buried—were usually located at the entrance or exit of cities, although, according to studies, there are also owners of large properties who They chose to do it in rural areas. Its shape was very varied: the plan could be circular, octagonal or square and there was the possibility of incorporating one or more apses on the sides. Likewise, temple-shaped mausoleums can also be traced in Roman Hispania, on a podium, responding to the stereotype of classical architecture. In the case of the recent discovery of the Valladolid site of Las Calaveras, those responsible—researchers Santiago Sánchez de la Parra and Sonia Díaz Navarro—highlight the monumentality of the building, equipped with thick walls, topped by several domes, with an ancient roof finished by multi-color tiles.
The details of the funerary rites developed in these spaces, how and on what dates the deceased would be remembered, remain to be known. But to exist, they existed, as indicated by the location of different ritual objects collected inside. In this sense, another of the most interesting aspects has to do with the religious confession of the buried and their families, an extreme that, in certain cases, can be identified thanks to the elements (artistic or decorative) found inside the structure, mainly, paintings. Illustrations taken from the sacred scriptures – often related to the concept of salvation – point, unequivocally, towards a very ancient Christian cult. There are very illustrative examples in the current Italian territory, such as the extraordinary hypogeum (underground chapel) of Santa María delle Stelle, near Verona, whose vaults are completely decorated with this type of motifs. Or some of the rooms of the Convento dei Neveri (Bariano, province of Bergamo), profusely decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Now, the question is whether structures of this type can be traced in Roman Hispania, where it is possible to clearly identify what the beliefs of its inhabitants were through the artistic elements found during the excavation and subsequent study. The answer, clearly, is yes. For example, in the late Roman site of Las Vegas, in the Toledo municipality of La Pueblanueva, an octagonal mausoleum where several sarcophagi were found, including the one currently on display in the National Archaeological Museum (MAN), where Jesus appears. and the twelve finely carved apostles (now deprived of their heads). Although, without a doubt, to discover one of the most surprising cases you have to travel to the town of Constantí, a few kilometers from the city of Tarragona, where Centcelles is located, a Roman complex “very well preserved, with pictorial and musivary decorations ( mosaics) linked to the Christian concept of salvation, with scenes such as Daniel in the lions’ den or the three Hebrews in the oven, the same as those that decorated the (mentioned) mausoleums of Bergamo and Verona, or more generally the catacombs and sarcophagi of late Antiquity,” says specialist Alexandra Chavarría.
Same data, different interpretations
In any case and due to its unique characteristics, the example of Centcelles is a unique case on the peninsula, still in full discussion today. In fact, the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (MNAT) has promoted a research project (until 2027) to try to identify what the exact function and chronology could be, thus clearing up possible doubts that hang over its interpretation and, incidentally, “expand and improve the experience of visiting Centcelles”. “This project is an opportunity to join forces to ask questions, pose new challenges and move forward with new perspectives, with shared objectives both with the German Archaeological Institute (which has worked at the site since the 1950s) and with different researchers from the fields of archaeology, architecture and restoration and conservation,” says the director of the Tarragona museum, Mònica Borrell. The scientific discussion on the nature of Centcelles therefore dates back several decades, and the doubts reflect, however, that the archaeological data can be interpreted from different points of view.
The findings are frequent and the cases are multiple. But, in what state of conservation are the mausoleums built in the first centuries of our era? “The archaeological heritage in our country is enormous and from many different periods, so it is difficult to study and protect it all, although it is also true that a well-preserved and valued site is a plus for the territory in which it is located” , believes Professor Alexandra Chavarría, who adds that the most important archaeological sites of this era “have the attention they deserve”, although “it would be interesting to investigate archaeologically the territory where they are located to be able to contextualize them in more detail and better understand their meaning.” . An idea applicable to testimonies such as that of Centcelles (Tarragona), but also to others, such as the mausoleum of the Atilios (Sádaba, Zaragoza), “Ermita de Llanes” (Albendea, Cuenca), La Alberca (Region of Murcia), Las Vegas (Pueblanueva, Toledo) or the initially mentioned Las Calaveras (Renedo de Esgueva, Valladolid).
To all the previous questions, some with a more precise explanation than others, one more should be added: can these funerary monuments be considered a prelude to the temples and, in particular, to the churches as we know them today? The answer here is more complex. Professor Alexandra Chavarría explains that the mausoleums were not exclusive to either the Roman world or the Christian religion (a confession that has only been identified in some cases), but rather earlier, and that their nature goes beyond a religious affiliation. “Most of the mausoleums that we know of in Roman Hispania are from the 4th century and, perhaps, the 5th, and, at least at that time, churches were not built in rural areas,” he points out. “Now, from a certain moment, in the 6th century and, above all, in the 7th, the elites will begin to want to be buried in relation to buildings of worship, churches,” he adds. A step that takes place in the suburban area of Rome and, later, the model is reproduced in the countryside. “Finally, what happens is that the churches themselves become burial places for privileged families and they no longer build mausoleums, but rather private funerary churches,” adds Chavarría. From that stage, the 7th century, we still have magnificent examples standing, a legacy of a capital civilization on the peninsula, still remarkably unknown today: the Visigoths.
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