We have visited a few ghost towns in our travels. Some really did not have much going for them to begin with. Others lost either their mining prosperity or their political backing.Climate change likely led to fall of others.
For Italica, we know it was a vibrant, world city that in the 1st century AD produced two rulers of the western world, Trajan and Hadrian. Yet over the next millenia it fell from importance with much of it buried while whatever was exposed was demolished to provide building materials for Sevilla.
We were surprised that the entrance was just a small gate next to a gas station. Parking was whatever you could find on the side streets.
We opted to enter the city it self first.
There were original street paving in some area and many blocks of building foundations and floors.
The floor above commerated the gods of each day.
Staring at these 2000 year old tile floors, we wondered why anyone would choose any thing less durable? (Imagine a Roman flooring contractor saying he had some new Luxury Vinyl with a 10 year warranty…)
Plumbing contractors were represented with a public toilet and views to the underground sewers.
Emporer Trajan once again has prominent spot on the hill.
And of course they had a coliseum.
After having wandered through the remains of the once vibrant city, it did make us wonder if we would know when our own cities will be about to be relegated to the dust bin of history.