The Roman circus of Mérida
Spain
Spain is certainly one of the parts of Europe with the strongest Roman presence still visible to this day. Mérida was one of the most active colonies and one of the best-preserved and largest circuses of the Empire is located here. Its dimensions attest to this, 403 meters long by 96 and a half meters wide, as does its capacity, which could reach thirty thousand spectators. Like all circuses, it was used for chariot races and, according to an inscription, was later approved for naval games.
Aqueduct of Segovia
Spain
It is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in Spain, so much so that today it is the true symbol of the city of Segovia. The splendour of the work, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, is evident in its 166 arches built of dry-assembled granite blocks. The aqueduct supplied water to the city, particularly the Alcazar, until the mid-20th century.
The Porta Nigra in Trier
Germany
It is an imposing gate made of dark sandstone (hence the name, which means "black gate" in Latin), built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in 170 AD. This marvel of engineering and human inventiveness is held together only by iron clamps and the force of gravity and represents the largest Roman monument of its kind in Germany. A few hundred meters from the gate is the residence of another character destined to shake up history two thousand years later: Karl Marx.
Pont du Gard
France
Built in 17 BC, the Pont du Gard is not actually a bridge, as its name would suggest, but a spectacular three-tiered Roman aqueduct. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for the incredible beauty of its 35 arches 50 meters above the Gard river, the Romans took fifteen years to build it, which compared to the time required for certain infrastructures today is remarkably short. It carried up to 35,000 cubic meters of water per day and was part of a 50-kilometer-long canal system. Perhaps the most famous Provencal monument.