Roman City Flavia Solva

Even before the Roman settlement, a Celtic settlement existed at this site. After the Roman occupation of Noricum, the settlement developed into a vicus with wooden structures. Under Emperor Vespasian, the settlement was elevated to a city in 69 AD and named Municipium Flavia Solva. The city was re-established as a planned city modeled on Italian examples, with the center consisting of stone buildings. An amphitheater is documented as a public building, while the forum and baths are presumed to be in the area of insulae 25 and 26. Around 170 to 175 AD, the city likely suffered destruction during the Marcomannic Wars but was quickly rebuilt, albeit on a smaller scale. After a period of economic prosperity in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries, the city was largely abandoned by the early 5th century, with the population possibly retreating to nearby higher ground.