Baelo Claudia: Exceptional Town of Roman Ruins

Baelo Claudia in Bolonia Bay

Baelo Claudia was as an important Baetica port.

Model of the city Baelo

Model of the town of Baelo

Baelo belonged under the Hispania Conventus Gaditanus.
Conventus: Adminsitration of Justice
Gaditanus: Cadiz

Roman Spain: Baetica Had Four Conventus Zones

Gades, Cadiz
Hispalensis, Sevilla
Cordubensis, Cordoba
Astigitanus, Ecija

Conventus Gaditanus

Cadiz (Gades) was the capital of Baelo Claudia's Conventus.
It also controlled the already colonized areas:
Malaga, (Malaca)
Adra, (Abdera)
Almuñuecar, (Sexi)
Jerez, (Hasta Regia).

Baelo became the religious and administrative nucleus for nearby areas: Barbate to Mellaria.

Other towns: Medina Sidonia (Asido) and Alcala de los Gazules (Lascuta) were quite far away.

Situation

The town of Baelo Claudia is situated in the Atlantic inlet of Bolonia. Bolonia Bay is in Cadiz, Andalucia. see: roman art and architecture

Three mountain ranges surround Baelo:
Sierra de Bartolome (eastern side)
Sierra de la Plata (western side)
Sierra de la Higuera (western side)

Two opposing headland points demarcate the Bay of Bolonia.
Punta (cape) Caraminal and Punta Paloma

The Baelo Routes

One route led to the west - towards Carteia
The other was situated the eastern direction - towards Gades
However, it was the maritime routes, especially with Tangiers (Tingis) that mattered.

Baelo Claudia's Connection to The Importance of Atlantic Fishing

Atlantic Fishing capture was immense. It was the Phoenicians, who originally, laid trap-nets snaring migrating Tuna, inside the Bolonia bay and in other Gaditan inlets.

Preserving Capture

It was the Phoenicians who initiated, fish-salting, factories. Garum was a fermented, fish-sauce, considered a delicacy. Garum was expensive. Garum was produced in the Bolonia valley, near the Roman complex.

Much of the caught fish were sent to Malaga, for fish-salting.

Salting Vats, Baelo