Page 62 - Lienz Treasure Chest

Sights in the Lienz valley
What you shouldn’t miss

Aguntum – Tyrol’s only Roman city
Aguntum, located at the famous trade route Via Julia Augusta, was given
city rights almost 2000 years ago under Emperor Claudius and was a uni-
que trade centre of the region. The excavation grounds of Aguntum offer
numerous points of attraction, all of which can be seen from the observa-
tion tower. The discovery of an atrium house was especially remarkable.
Never before had such a building been found in the Alps, so far north of
Pompeii. Its Mediterranean building style is completely unsuited to the Al-
pine climate. The marble pool of the atrium house was moved to the new
museum building, where it is the central point of the exhibition. The wealth
of the population is also demonstrated by the thermae, a wonderful achie-
vement of Roman civilisation. Doorsteps and walls of marble, warm water
pools, wall paintings and mosaic floors adorned the building. In Aguntum,
an impressive image of Roman culture and civilisation in the Alps awaits St Ulrich’s Church on the church hill of Lavant.
you. Clothes, reliefs, ceramics, jewellery, coins etc. The new museum was
designed by architects Moser and Kleon from Innsbruck.
Open from mid-April to the end of October. Info: www.aguntum.info The church hill of Lavant – Pre-Christian heritage
The municipality of Lavant is 2 km east of the Roman city of Aguntum. The
church hill of Lavant (Lavanter Kirchbichl) is a holy mountain in East Tyrol.
As early as the Celtic era, this hill housed a temple. Traces such as a stone
Museum of the Roman city of Aguntum.
plate floor, a fireplace and a pit for supplies from the La Tène era were found
here. Separated from the valley by a ravine and two streams, the church
hill was always naturally protected. In the 5th century, a refuge castle with
a floor area of 27,000 square metres was built there. Within the fortress, a
church was converted into an episcopal church. The entire province was
threatened by the Germanic tribes; thus, the hill became a refuge settle-
ment for inhabitants of the nearby Roman city of Aguntum. An antiques
collection is located in a museum room in the basement of the funeral par-
lour at the bottom of the hill. However, most of the finds are exhibited in
the archeological museum of Schloss Bruck in Lienz. Today, aside from the
excavations, there are two churches on the hill:
St Ulrich’s Church – Parish church of Lavant. The original building was
created in the 16th century. In 1770, the church was reconstructed using
the original material, with the pointed gate remaining intact. A Marian de-
votional picture from the 17th century has attracted countless pilgrims ever
since.

Church of St Peter and Paul – The building is said to have been conse-
crated in 850 by Pope Leo IV. This event is associated with a legend, ac-
cording to which the Pontifex maximus spilled sand at the four corners of
the building. The number of grains allegedly corresponded to the days of
indulgence, so pilgrims knelt at the four corners to get forgiveness for their
sins. The church was built upon the walls of the former castle chapel and
consecrated in 1485. Roman artefacts from the surrounding area, such as
a relief of a carriage, were incorporated into the structure. The three winged
altars are from the 16th century.

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