The Roman excavation site „IOVIA“

The Roman excavation site „IOVIA“

 

The town of Ludbreg is one of the oldest settlements in Croatia. That little town in Podravina region has developed on the crossroads of roads leading from the East to the West and from the north to the south, and all the traders had to pass over the river Bednja.

It was a passing point to the Illyrians, the Celts, it has „seen“ Tatar and Turkish hordes and Ban Jelačić's troops. The ancient medicine men told future here, the Slavic pagan priests offered sacrifices, and rich Romans enjoyed the beautiful nature.

Because of the enormous importance of these roads, the Romans came to this area between 6 and 9 AD and built a monumental building- IOVIA.

Over time a settlement rose around it and the residents worked for the needs of the Roman army. There are very few archaelogical findings between the fall of IOVIA in the Great migration in the 4th century and the 7th century. The Slavic fortifications provide more information about the town development. They were surrounded by ditches full of water, and the land from the ditches served as the rampart.

Out of the four fortifications that existed at that time, the one on the left bank of the Bednja river, hidden by forest, away from all the roads, was the safest. It is the place of today's Old Town, going back to the 11th century. There was a lot of stones in the ruined IOVIA so little by little the walls of the medieval Wasserburg were built. Not far away from it a settlement was beginning to grow. The new settlers removed the old fortification stone by stone and the IOVIA disappeared. A new settlement, Ludbreg, was built in its place.Ludbreg had a civil and church administration.

It was the time of the spread of Chrisitanity and it appears that the first Christian place of prayer was built in the place of the today's Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity.

Internet stranica koristi kolačiće (cookies) kako bi poboljšala funkcionalnost.