A day with the XXX Ulpia Vitrix Legion

A day with the XXX ULPIA VICTRIX LEGIO has been presented by the Castel Gandolfo Pro Loco, with the idea of using the history of the Roman army to look at the spread of technology and cultural exchanges that led to the unification of many Europe populations, in something that could be defined as a precursor of “globalisation”.  
This is an opportunity to learn more about the past through experimental archaeology and examining history with a modern-day interpretation, a process that has attracted increasing interest from the public.
Every reproduction produced by the XXX U.T.V. Legion association is made on the basis of historic-scientific research used to test the efficiency of past processes, giving a real sense of the undertaking. This way the public can immediately grasp the “actual” meaning of the historical context. People can see what difficulties our ancestors had in achieving various projects and what the technology they could use at the time to help them in the task.
Having the chance to see how real objects were used, reproduced here to create new popular forms, stimulates the public’s curiosity and interest, with more and more people getting involved.
The project

The project is articulated in three different ways, through popularisation, demonstration and illustration. It involves setting up a Roman camp, complete with tents and equipment, along with stalls showing the Romans’ use of technology, art and customs.

The camp will form a kind of living museum, where vistors can see and touch objects and tools that were fundamental parts of the military and civil life of ancient Rome.

The military aspect

In regards to the part of the camp involving the army, the public can take part in scenes of military life inside the camp, where there are displays of the main daily activities undertaken by Roman soldiers: how the legionaries dressed and lived and the importance of discipline and military organisation within the legion.
There will be reproductions of military manoeuvres and exercises based on the accounts in the historical records and the most respected Latin and Hellenic chronicles.  
The civil aspect

The association will reproduce many interesting aspects of Roman civil life, giving the public the opportunity to discover what technologies and tools were used at the time, things which still manage to surprise even today.  
There will be a guided trail weaving through themed stalls, showing many reproductions of the objects made by the association, with each object accompanied by an explanation of how it was used.

The main themes are:
medicine and surgery at the time, illustrated by a faithful reproduction of tools found at Pompei, in the Domus of the Rimini Surgeon, and the Epidauro sanctuary dedicated to the father of medicine Asklepion;
plumbing techniques, a sphere in which the Romans were able engineers, with technical explanations and practical demonstrations on how the plumbing system was designed and built;
how coins were made, with practical demonstrations and comments about the images stamped and reproduced on the coins;
the Romans’ favourite art forms: from the techniques used for frescoes and painting walls to mosaics and ceramics, with explanations on how the various techniques evolved over time, how they were used in buildings and displayed;
how the Romans dressed and how wool and linen were prepared and turned into clothing, with explanations and practical displays of weaving and looming;
how the Romans looked after their bodies, the beauty cures used by their women and men too, the preparation of perfuse, with explanations and demonstrations of how items were prepared and used;
the most popular hairstyles during the Roman empire, with illustrations and commentary supplied by reproducing the styles on models to practically demonstrate the styles, with a look at how the hairstyles changes in different periods of history;
the Romans’ favourite tastes and how they ate their meals, with a Roman banquet featuring some ancient recipes, following strictly according to the way the most famous ancient Roman cooks made their dishes;
how the Romans spent their free time, from very popular table games to shows involving gladiators held in the amphitheatres.

This is the programme for the entire day:

At 8.00 Arrival

At 8.00 – 8.30 Unloading materials

At 8.30-10.30 Setting up the Camp

At 10.30 Doors open to the public – welcoming people to the Camp

At 11.00-13.00 Educational  explanations, handling and illustration of ancient technologies and professions

At 14.00- 15.00 Lunch break

At 15.00-16.30 Camp activities – Parade of the army dressed in costume

At 16.30 – 18.30 Educational  explanations, handling and illustration of ancient technologies and professions

At 18.30 Taking down the camp and departure

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