Novae

Novae near Svishtov allows Roman military organisation to be explored through architecture and inscriptions. The complex comprised a legionary camp, civilian settlement and later town, with a history spanning the first to sixth centuries. The headquarters, or principia, of the First Italic Legion yielded statue bases, altars and building inscriptions. They illuminate the worship of gods, imperial representation and the people commissioning monuments. A hospital, baths and Late Antique episcopal complex broaden the picture beyond combat service. Bulgarian–Polish research documents successive building phases. Modern reconstructions help convey the buildings’ scale but should be distinguished from surviving archaeological fabric.