Published on March 27, 2026
In Roman Hispania, various population centers were connected differing significance and importance. Many of these communication routes that traversed the Iberian Peninsula served as true highways in the Ancient World. To the west, the well-known Via de la Plata—whose name has no connection to silver trade—linked the north and south, connecting Astorga with Mérida, and tracing a path marked considerable stature.
Today, some of these cities or Roman towns, such as Salmantica (modern-day Salamanca), remain prominent in our geography. However, the twists of history have reserved a much humbler fate for certain locations, which now exist merely as archaeological sites rescued from the abandonment to which they were once condemned. One such site is Cáparra—located just a few kilometers from Plasencia—a Roman city situated in the province of Lusitania that likely had a pre-Roman past and attained the status of a Latin law municipality during the Flavian dynasty (69-96 AD).
Before falling into obscurity around the 9th century, Cáparra thrived significantly due to its status as a mandatory transit point. Its etymological origin, which seems to reference a place of exchange, hints at the municipality’s importance in commercial transactions along the Via de la Plata. However, what definitively establishes Cáparra as a noteworthy city in Roman times are its splendid ruins, which began to attract the interest of local scholars and national researchers as early as the 17th century.
Among all the remains discovered so far, the most magnificent and unique is the tetrapylum, a four-faced arch likely situated at the intersection of the cardo and decumano, the two main streets of the Roman urban layout. The monument’s pillars support four semi-circular arches, opposing two , forming a rib-vault at their intersection. The arches are adorned with a molding on the underside, while the pillars rest on bases topped with a cornice. On the north and south entrances of the tetrapylum, which correspond to the decumano, there are pedestals for sculptures, now lost, which were likely of equestrian character due to their size. This section of the structure is composed of well-cut blocks that fit seamlessly together.
The upper part of the arch, which is estimated to have reached thirteen meters in height—five more than its current state—has disappeared. Only a core of opus caementicium remains, which crowns the monument today. Archaeologists speculate that this portion of the building included an architrave, a frieze with a cornice, and perhaps an attic.
Thanks to the epigraphic inscriptions preserved on the arch, we know that its construction was commissioned in accordance with the testamentary wishes of his parents: Marcus Fidius Macer, a prominent citizen of the municipality, and Bolosea. The inscription reads as follows:
“Marco Fidio Macer erected this monument, according to his testament, in honor of Bolosea, daughter of Pellio, and of Fidio, son of Macer.”
Other architectural elements that reveal the former significance of Cáparra include its public baths, a square-plan building composed of various rooms. Additionally, the city, which was entirely walled, housed the forum, accessible through three gates and containing the basilica, the curia, and three temples. It is also possible that the municipality had an amphitheater and an aqueduct. An archaeological campaign unearthed a mile marker from the time of Nero, indicating the distance from the site to Emérita Augusta.
Cáparra began to decline in importance toward the end of the Roman Empire, but the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages and the demographic changes that occurred during this period dealt the final blow to the city, initiating a long decline that would end before the arrival of Muslims in that area of the Peninsula. Nevertheless, the possible abandonment of this once-prominent Roman municipality has allowed the preservation of its most outstanding monument, the quadrifrons arch, unique of its kind in Spain.
The ruins of Cáparra are well worth a visit. Near the site, there is an interpretation center. You can find great photos of the archaeological remains on this website, and in this video, you can get an idea of what the arch looked like in Roman times.
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