Colonia Ulpia Traiana
| Colonia Ulpia Traiana | |
|---|---|
Colonia Ulpia Traiana (with Castra Vetera I & II) was created near the old course of the Rhine river (dark blue color) | |
| Alternative name | Roman-German civilian settlement |
| Known also as | Castra Vetera |
| Founded during the reign of | (Augustus: Vetera I & II) Trajan |
| Founded | ca. 13 BC (Vetera I); 110 AD: colonia |
| Abandoned | ca 440 AD |
| Previous fortification | Vetera I Vetera II |
| Place in the Roman world | |
| Province | Germania inferior |
| Limes | Limes Germanicus |
| Nearby water | Rhine river |
| Stationed military units | |
| — Legions — | |
| Legio VI Victrix - Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix | |
| — Classis — | |
| Classis Germanica | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°39′44″N 06°27′14″E / 51.66222°N 6.45389°E |
| Town | Xanten |
| Country | Germany |
| Reference | |
| UNESCO | |
| Part of | Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Lower German Limes |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv |
| Reference | 1631-065 |
| Inscription | 2021 (44th Session) |
| Site notes | |
| Recognition | UNESCO World Heritage Site |
The Colonia Ulpia Traiana (CUT) was a Roman city (colonia) located in the area of present-day Xanten, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It existed approximately from 100 to 275 CE and was a major center of the province of Germania Inferior. Today, the site is occupied by the Archaeological Park Xanten and the LVR-RömerMuseum. The archaeological remains are gradually being excavated and studied.
The Colonia Ulpia Traiana was founded by Emperor Trajan and named after him. As a colonia, it was one of approximately 150 cities in the Roman Empire that held this legal status, granting its inhabitants Roman citizenship and serving as a "miniature Rome." Ulpia Traiana was the third-largest Roman city in present-day Germany, after Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (modern Cologne) and Augusta Treverorum (modern Trier). Its public buildings reflected the city's high status as a central hub for the surrounding region.