Excursion in Segobriga

Excursion in Segobriga

The ancient city of Segobriga is located not far from Madrid (in the city of Cuenca) and reaches 857 meters above sea level. The elevated platform, whose surface takes 10.5 hectares. In the old times, it was an important strategic point of eastern plateau of Meseta.

After the conquest by Romans, Segobriga turned into the main city, which became the center of economic control and mining, which led to the real economic boom and its monumentalization at the time of the Emperor August.

Shortly before the change of epoch, the city stopped paying tribute to the Romans and turned into the individual municipality, which launched an extensive program on the construction of such monumental buildings as the forum, theater scenes, amphitheater and thermal springs (I century AD), and the building of circus was finished in the second half of the II century AD.

The occupation of Segobriga continued throughout IV and V centuries. At that time, there was an active Christianization in the city, which manifested itself in the construction of Visigoth Basilica in the north of the city. In the VI- VII century Segobriga was still a quite large and important city.

During the Islamic age, Segobriga gradually lost its relevance, until it turned into the rural center goverened by Ucles.

In 1228 Segobriga (also called “Cabeza de Griego”, which means “the Greek head”) was still considered a population centre. Thereafter, a part of the Eastern Ridge was donated to the Order of Santiago.

Since then, the population gradually reduced until there was only a small church left- the last evidence of the ancient city, preserved to our days.