Felix Romuliana, the late antiquity site in Gamzigrad, is the first archeological site in Serbia to be inscribed on the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites (as of June 29th, 2007).
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The Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 16th November, 1972 session. Dragoslav Srejović, a member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Art, led excavations at this site beginning in the 1970s; he was convinced from the very beginning that it was a Roman royal residence. Srejović initiated the campaign to add Felix Romuliana to the List of World Heritage Sites after he gathered an adequate amount of evidence.
Unfortunately, the premature death of Srejović (1996) suspended efforts to have this site internationally recognised, but his efforts were subsequently continued by his followers. Among them, the most fervent has been archeologist Bora Dimitrijević, director of the National Museum in Zaječar, an institution that houses many treasures from this site.
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"The addition of the Imperial Palace Romuliana on UNESCO’s list is well deserved because it is the most preserved example of Roman palatial architecture on UNESCO’s List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and is therefore an important acknowledgement for our country and for our culture", said Bora Dimitrijević for Jat Review. This is definite confirmation that the memorial complex, built by the Roman Emperor Gaius Valerius Maximianus Galerius between 293 and 311 A.D, is a site of outstanding importance to mankind. The site’s new status binds us to take all measures to fully protect this "precious shrine that sparkles in its glorious solitude", as academician Srejović used to say of Romuliana.
At the same time, the site’s addition to the UNESCO list is a unique reward to generations of archeologists, architects, painters and art historians – from Felix Kanis, who was the first to draw the palace in 1864, to the discovery of an archivolt with the inscription Felix Romuliana in 1984, which shed light on the mystery of this remarkable site; each of them, in their own way, have built into the foundation and arches of Romuliana new knowledge, enthusiasm and hope.
There have been many difficult moments during a half century of research and conservation work on the palace, many doubts and disbeliefs, along with a lack of understanding by both national and local authorities in charge of culture, long and short breaks in excavations. However, from professor Đorđe Mano Zisi, who began research in 1953, to academician Dragoslav Srejović, the greatest researcher and unrivaled interpreter of Romuliana, a hidden hope has always lingered that one day the importance of this remarkable site, located 11 km west of Zaječar, would be recognised.
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- If you compare the Imperial Palace in Gamzigrad with similar palaces – Diocletian’s Palace in Split or the Royal Villa in Sicily – what would you say makes it unique?
- The memorial foundation of Emperor Galerius outshines these worldknown monuments fi rst and foremost because it is much better preserved, because of its size, and also by some features of its architectural structure; two mighty defense ramparts. Movable architectural objects like sculptures (the porphyritic head of Emperor Galerius, marble portraits of Jupiter and Hercules) and the superb floor mosaics (Dionysius at banquet, venators, labyrinth) are its great attributes, though one has to admit that the mosaics in Sicily, at Piazza Armerini, also belong to masterpieces of European art.
- What makes this palace singular is that it is combined with the sacral compound on the Magura hill, the site where for the last time in the Roman Empire, an act of apotheosis i.e. an instance of deifying a mortal, was performed?
- When we add the remains of a monumental tetrapylon, discovered on the northern side of Magura hill, to the aforementioned, it is clear that this is a quite singular memorial complex conceived by a mighty emperor whose wish was to be elevated to divine status.
- Can you describe the act of deification for our readers? |
- In their desire to exercise absolute power, but also in their longing for that illusory human desire of immortality, the Roman emperors of the 3rd century believed they belonged to the divine families of Jupiter and Hercules, especially in the period of the Tetrarchy, so that after their death they were elevated to divine status through a special ritual.
- This ritual took place above Romuliana, on a hill of the Magara. There, between the years 1989 and 1993, monuments were excavated that revealed they are the site on which the Emperor Galerius and his mother Romula were buried and elevated to divine status i.e. where their apotheoses was performed.
- From Herodian’s accounts of the history of the Roman emperors, we learned how this ritual was performed. After the emperor’s death, a wax figure resembling the deceased emperor was made and placed on a pedestal-portable chair made of ivory, and then put at the gate of the palace.
After a seven-day ritual, the portable chair was taken out of the palace and put on a wooden stake, two to three levels tall and decorated with golden draperies and a variety of images.
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After the customary ceremony, the stake was set on fi re and an eagle would be released from the top of it so as to take the soul of the deceased on its wings among the gods.
- On the Magura two giant tumuluses were unearthed, actually the burial mounds dug after the act of apotheoses of Romula and Galerius had been performed, and also the ruins of two mausoleums with their earthly remains. Although both tumuluses had been looted, probably in the mid- 5th century, a fine depository of gold coins (Solidi) totaling 99 pieces was discovered near Romula’s mausoleum.
- Professor Srejović used to point out that Galerius was the last Roman emperor who persecuted Christians and the first who, in 311 A.D., issued an edict proclaiming tolerance of this religion. Do you think that with this edict he smoothed the way for the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D.?
- The edict he issued in Nikomedia in May, 311 A.D. is a very important act, but it didn’t receive the attention it deserved in the history of the Tetrarchy due to the then explicitly negative attitudes of the late Christian panegyrics, Lactanius before all. As Galerius died soon afterwards, it could be said that he simply hadn’t had time to implement the edict, if that had been his intention. |
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- It seems that his edict, in all probability, had not had any greater echo among Christians in the Empire. However, that didn’t prevent Constantine, being a man who knew how to create religious compromise during his reign, from issuing the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., together with Lactanius. Due to a lack of valid and reliable historical sources, it is rather difficult to say to what degree the similar edict issued by his compatriot and one of the co-Tetrarchs influenced Constantine. However, the irrefutable fact is that two Tetrarchs, born only 100 km from each other on the territory of present-day Serbia, are connected with the roots of European Christianity, though in different ways.
- The National Museum in Zaječar holds an extremely beautiful mosaic with the image of Dionysius. Christians often used the ancient image of Dionysius in their religion to present the image of Christ. Is there any evidence that this was also a custom in the palace in Gamzigrad in the later period?
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Mr. Bora Dimitrijević
Photo: Jaco Heikilla |
- The mosaic representing the image of Dionysius, unearthed in the triclinium of Palace I, differs from all known images of this god. He fascinates both by the pure beauty of composition, which is nearly perfect, and by a wide palette of colors and nuances that emphasise the myth of an eternally young mortal god who is resurrected.
- Dionysius from Romuliana represents a sublimation of the architectural and decorative concept conceived by the divine ruler Galerius, who was elevated to the sphere of immortality. |
- As Dionysius is basically mortal, but in a mysterious way escapes death, he served as inspiration to Christians to create the image of Christ because his immortality proved that the human soul is immortal.
- The Palace of Gamzigrad never functioned as other typical Roman towns, but was constructed as a retreat for Galerius after the period of his 20-year reign and to mark vicennium.
- It is not possible to advance a reliable theory whether Christians, especially in the 6th century, used the existing mosaic as a model to create Christ’s image in some of the sacral objects.
- You have recently given a lecture about Gamzigrad in Finland and Iceland. Is the foreign public interested in this site?
- During our many years of cooperation with the eminent Balkankult- Foundation in Belgrade, Zaječar’s National Museum got the chance to present to our friends in northern Europe, in Rovaniema and Reykjavik, the palace as a unique curiosity. We are delighted with the attention and interest shown in the Imperial Palace, especially for its mosaics and sculptures.
- There are various cultural and scientific activities already taking place at this site. Will you continue to expand such activities?
- In recent years the National Museum and the local community have made serious efforts to include Romuliana into the rich cultural life of our city. I would mention that we have organised several chamber concerts with the Balkankult-Foundation and Progetto Musica from Molfacone, Italy. The title of the project is "Nei Suoni Dei Luoghi" and its idea is that small places should promote their great cultural heritage, both in Italy and in the Balkans.
- Every year, on the site of Gamzigrad, one of our eminent professors gives an introductory lecture and officially opens the International Summer School Felix Romuliana. The event "Days of European Heritage" also successfully presents the multiethnic spirit of Eastern Serbia. Promotions of books, exhibitions, poetry evenings and other cultural events will continue to be the basis of our strategy, and we shouldn’t forget that UNESCO’s experts have positively evaluated the way in which Romuliana is being included into life of our local community.
- Building the visitors’ centre, and especially its research section, will greatly improve conditions for scientific work. We plan to organise camps for young researchers, various educational sections and, of course, presentation of the Palace.
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Galerius – Caesar and Augustus
- He maintained strong ties with his native land, his compatriots and relatives, before all with his mother Romula. Hence, he presented to his native country a magnificent palace named Romuliana after his mother. Like Caesar (293 to 305 A.D.) and Augustus (305 to 311) in the period of the the Tetrarchy, he was the only ruler who firmly supported Diocletian’s decrees. It could be said that he fought with all his power to postpone the end of an archaic ideology that made him a prisoner of an inexorably elapsing time.
- Admirable as regards his military skills, he won one of the greatest Roman victories when he defeated the Persians in 298 A.D. and captured their Shah Narses and his harem. History evaluates him in different ways, and while some go to extremes with their praises, others are critical both of him and the period of the Tetrarchy. | |
