Panoramic pictures of the
tower:
Gallery: 180-degree panoramic
spreads of The
turris.
Saturday 15th
November 2003, the
groundwork was laid for a replica of a
Roman watchtower as could be found all
along the Limes. This turris or
watchtower has now been built between the
19th-century
fortress and the field
which still covers the remains of the castellum
Fectio. The tower was officially
opened on May 16th,
2004.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS
OF 2012 THE TOWER HAS BEEN CLOSED TO THE
PUBLIC. |
Beautiful colours of the Fall, November
2006. |
|
|
Ready for yet another shower, april 2005. |
|
Even
though the 19th-century fortress 'Den
Burg' at Vechten would seem the furthest
from any Roman associations, there can be
no question of denying them. The thick
brick and concrete walls were constructed
between 1867 and 1870 as part of the so-called
Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (The 'New
Dutch Water Line') to defend the cities
of the western Netherlands from overland
attack. However, the spot which was
chosen to erect this fortress, happened
to be chosen before, for a similar
purpose: the Roman Limes. |
The
Romans, who apparently chose the spot
because it controlled a side-arm of the
Lower Rhine, built their castellum
by the year 4 AD, and possibly named it
after that river, Fectio. This
fort was quite important from time to
time as a supply-base for the invasion of
Germany. It attracted the local
population as well, which came to settle
in the vicus at either end of
the fort. The castellum was most
likely abandoned by the late 3rd century,
when the Roman Empire faced crisis after
crisis. However, the main reason that the
army never returned may well have been
because the access to the fort silted up,
which caused it to become land-locked,
with all the ensuing logistical problems.
The neighboring castellum at Trajectum/Utrecht
may have supplanted it as local fort. Anyway,
by the late 19th century the Dutch
engineers built their new fortress dead
east of the old castellum on top
of the vicus, without even
knowing it existed.
|
|
A modern milestone of the 'Limes Path'. |
|
|
The tower, nearly finished, spring 2004. |
|
Luckily,
when all kinds of ancient artefacts
started turning up, one of the oficers
had the bright idea to contact the Museum
van Oudheden (M. of Antiquities) in
Leiden about these strange objects which
were dug up by the workers. Because of
that action, a great collection of Roman
artefacts has been rescued, even though
the proper excavation of the castellum
nor the vicus ever took place.
How could it, the science of archeaeology
did not yet exist by then. |
Today, the castellum
still rests under its orchard, but the
society which now runs the fort (as of
1996), has taken the first step to create
a link between the two. During the winter,
a replica of a Roman watchtower will be
constructed of wood, to be opened for the
public by may of 2004. With this visual
sign, it is hoped that the public will
become aware of the Roman past so long
hidden beneath their feet. The provincial
government has developed plans to make
the castellum more visible to the public.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Filming
at FECTIO
The tower slowly becomes famous
as a Roman landmark, both in The
Netherlands as well as abroad! The tower has
been discovered in yet another new role -
that of historical background for movies
and documentaries, but also for artistic
and archaeological projects. (More...)
|
How
to reach te replica of the tower near Fort
Vechten:
click on the map.
Bibliography
- Bechert,
Tillmann en Willem J.H. Willems (1995): De
Romeinse Rijksgrens tussen Moezel en
Noordzeekust, (Konrad Theiss Verlag).
- Dockum,
Saskia van (1997): Vechten een Fort
naast een Verheven Boomgaard, in: Dockum,
S. van en A. Haytsma: Archeologische
Monumenten in Nederland, (ROB, Abcoude),
pp. 54-5.
- Es, W.A.
van, en Hessing, W.A.M. (1994): Romeinen,
Friezen en Franken in het hart van
Nederland: van Traiectum tot Dorestad (50
v.Chr.-950 na Chr.), (Utrecht).
- Hegener,
Michiel (2003): Op het Spoor van
Romeinen en Bataven, Nederland 2000 jaar
geleden, (TELEAC, Kosmos Utrecht).
- Hessing,
Wilfied et al (1997): Romeinen langs de
Snelweg: Bouwstenen voor Vechtens
Verleden, (ROB, Uniepers Abcoude).
- Kok, D.H.,
S.G. van Dockum en F. Vogelzang, red. (1996):
Archeologische Kroniek Provincie Utrecht
1988-1989 (Utrecht), pp. 36-43.
- Kok, D.H.,
S.G. van Dockum en F. Vogelzang, red. (1997):
Archeologische Kroniek Provincie Utrecht
1990-1991 (Utrecht), pp. 38-41.
- Kok, D.H.,
S.G. van Dockum en F. Vogelzang, red. (1998):
Archeologische Kroniek Provincie Utrecht
1994-1995 (Utrecht), pp. 46-7 and 71-3.
- Kok, D.H.,
J.P. ter Brugge, S.G. van Dockum en F.
Vogelzang, red. (1998): Archeologische
Kroniek Provincie Utrecht 1996-1997 (Utrecht),
46-161.
- Lendering,
Jona
(2000): De Randen van de Aarde, de
Romeinen tussen Schelde en Eems, (Ambo,
Amsterdam).
- Tent, W.J.
van (1988):
Archeologische kroniek van de provincie
Utrecht over de jaren 1980-1984 (Utrecht).
- Vechten, Een
Romeins fort in de Hollandse Waterlinie,
at: http://www.archeologienet.nl/tijds_periode/projectinfo.cfm?projectnummer=61
|
|
Current contents:
Pictures
from 2008:
Gallery: 57 pics from 2008.
Pictures
from 2007:
Gallery: 100 pics from 2007.
Pictures
from 2006:
Gallery: 38 pics from 2006.
Pictures
from 2005:
Gallery: 76 pics from 2005.
Pictures
from 2004:
Gallery: 28 pics from 2004.
The
grand opening,
16-05-2004:
Gallery: 30 pics of The first event during
the grand opening.
The
construction, winter/spring 2004:
Gallery: 43 pics of The construction of the
turris.
The
blessing,
30-11-2003:
Gallery: 20 pics of The blessing of the
foundations.
|