I’d sworn off Twitter, but this most recent trip deep into the Lusosphere just has to be shared…

Via some torturous flight connections, we’ve ended up in the tiny equatorial country of São Tomé and Príncipe - a rocky volcanic outpost of the Portuguese language in Africa 🧵 /1 Portuguese sailors discovered the main island, São Tomé, on its eponymous saint’s day - 21 December 1471.

With an almost perfect climate, the Portuguese soon began to haul slave labourers from nearby continental Africa - making the colony a hub of the Atlantic sugar trade /2

To see the oldest European footprint in the Americas, you can’t do much better than Santo Domingo - founded a mere four years after Columbus first set foot on Hispaniola.

So I go stumbling around the colonial city to see some of the oldest buildings on the continent… /1

The Ozama fortress, raised by Nicolás Ovando between 1502-8, was to serve as the lynchpin of the city’s defence - built in the style of Castilian fortresses from Spain it overlooks the Ozama river and docks from a cliff, although would be taken by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 /2

The modern Turkish town of Milas a the Carian capital of Mylasa - conceals some interesting historical vestiges - a monumental Roman gate and an aqueduct among them.

But one massive masonry terrace wall holds something much more elusive, and only recently excavated… /1



Now crossed by a later Roman road, this terrace was once the ceremonial heart of the Achaemenid and Hellenistic Kingdom.

Indeed, the road cuts through an altar related to something quite a bit older… /2

Miletos - Minoan colony then Mycenaean base against the Hittites; cradle of Greek philosophy; Ionian thorn in Persia’s side; Seleukid then Ptolemaic gem; Roman city and site of Paul’s missions; Byzantine fort and Seljuk port - few cities are quite so historically rich 🧵 /1



The Romans dug a huge theatre into Miletos’ prehistoric hill, where once sat a Minoan cult temple and the fortress which sheltered the rebel Piyama-Radu in his pro-Achaean revolt against the Hittites.

Once the tiered seats afforded spectators views over a now silted harbour… /2

Another fantastic site at the famed city of Laodicea on the Lycus, founded by Antiokhos II on the borders of Lydia and Caria.

Frequently mentioned in the New Testament as a seat of early Christianity, there are tremendous ruins here for those willing to brave the heat… /1



There are few cities of this scale where the layout of the central streets is quite so apparent - here with the well preserved pavement and central covered drain, lined by porticoes to protect against rain and sun, and with shops, fountains, and temples lining the sides /2

The next stage of our Anatolian adventure starts in Izmir, the Turkish for Smyrna Σμύρνα, an ancient port city which has presided over the Aegean coast for the best part of three millennia - with, right up until the 1920s, one of the region’s largest Greek populations /1



Founded on a hill north of today’s centre and colonised by Greeks in the archaic period, Smyrna was reestablished by Alexander the Great and his successors around Mt Pagos and the coast below it - growing throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods into a prosperous port /2

Assisi’s 12th century Cathedral of San Rufino is an impressive feature in the north of the town, but just as impressive is the chunks of a Roman sacral district which has been painstakingly excavated from underneath the church /1



Visible in a crypt and in most of the north east wall, the cathedral - where St Francis of Assisi was baptised - buts right up against a monumental retaining wall, which supported a huge acropolis-like terrace at the edge of the Roman city /2

Most know Assisi for its medieval churches, but it also has some excellent Roman remains.

Of these, the name of Santa Maria sopra Minerva gives away its identity - for its conversion into a church left it one of only a handful of complete Roman temples surviving to today /1



The front is original - a portico fronted with Corinthian capitals holding up a once decorated pediment, with the rear columns disappearing into the pronaos walls.

Unfortunately, the cella is now a shell - filled with the pretty but rather incongruous baroque church decor /2

A glorious walk to the paleochristian basilica of San Michele Arcangelo which, built in the 5th century in the dying years of Roman Italy, is the oldest building still standing in the city - and she’s a beauty! /1



The basilica is stuffed with salvaged Roman spolia, including its columns with a range of corinthian capitals and - in front of the church - a sole ionic column decorated with a crucifix /2

Into subterranean Aosta!

The city’s current central square corresponds to the Roman forum; and some bits are still on show (incidentally, next to a very good craft beer pub…).

But there turns out to be quite a bit hidden underground… /1



The rear of the forum was supported by a huge cryptoporticus that ran around three of its edges, providing foundations for a raised terrace.

Discovered and excavated from underneath the modern buildings it still underpins (including the cathedral) it runs for quite some way! /2

Waking up to a glorious morning in Piedmont, where the huge late Roman Porta Savoia of Susa (classical Segusio) opens onto a quiet square.

The 11th century Duomo di Susa is partly built into the gate, with a magnificent campanile facing the two turrets /1



This beautiful Alpine town has been built into and around the walls of its Roman antecessor, with bell towers sprouting from turrets, houses punching windows through ramparts, and a palace growing out from the praetorium - and it’s everywhere you look /2

Back down south to pick up the Via Domitia again, but first to Arles - Roman Arelate - where enough evocative ruins to give Nîmes a run for its money punctuate the walled confines of the old classical city /1



The immense amphitheatre had become a fortified town in the Middle Ages, with a couple of the defensive towers still standing on the perimeter lip of the arcades.

As at Nîmes, the medieval construction was demolished during 19th century restoration attempts /2

Diverting north for a bit, we head on to Orange - site of classical Arausio, where Rome suffered its greatest ever defeat against the Gauls in 105 BCE.

The colony founded on the Celtic site in 35 BCE grew substantially, and under Augustus was graced with a magnificent theatre /1 With its 103m wide exterior facade still at its full 37m height, along with a largely complete scaenae, the theatre - which would have had capacity for some 7,000 spectators - is probably the best preserved example in the world, and still looms over the small French town /2

One of the more intriguing structures in Nîmes is the so called Temple of Diana, a large complex of well preserved buildings which seem to be one of the only extent Roman libraries in Western Europe - and apparently the annex to a much larger structure /1



The ‘temple’ sits next to a huge, precisely designed set of renaissance gardens - the Jardin de la Fontaine - which debouch enormous quantities of water into Nîmes - and which once were the heart of the Celtic oppidum which preceded Roman Nemausus /2

Off to explore Roman France for a week, and starting off with the fantastic and (undeservedly) less visited town of Perigueux - descendent of the fascinating Gallo-Roman city of Vesunna, and some of the most impressive ruins in the country /1



Founded at a bend of the Isle river following the conquest of a nearby Gaulish oppidum, at its height Vesunna governed much of the present Dordogne region, with a well appointed city replete with expensive public buildings and the full suite of Roman amenities /2

Thoroughly enjoyed the @britishmuseum’s Legion exhibition, not least for being my first opportunity to lay eyes on this beauty - the only fully preserved, painted Roman shield from antiquity, dug up from the ruins of Dura Europus in modern Syria /1 Another true banger in the Kalkriese lorica, an armoured vest worn by one of Varus’ ill-fated soldiers when he fell at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest - and lay where his corpse was left /2

Brace yourselves for a longer thread showcasing some of my highlights from the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, which exhibits artefacts from prehistoric Macedon up to late antiquity.

(Perhaps a good excuse to grab a coffee?)

🧵 /1



One of the earliest items comes from a later Roman imperial context. This Greek archaic temple was discovered under Thessaloniki’s streets, apparently moved some 500 years after its construction elsewhere - perhaps to show fealty to the Julian cult after Augustus’ succession /2

Dialling the clock back to before Theodoric and the Ostrogoths to Roman Ravenna proper.

One of the most stunning survivals, the 4th/5th century baptistery of Neon, was constructed atop a Roman bath with an incredible mosaic looking down into the converted baptismal pool 1/9 The best preserved ancient baptismal building in the world - or so claims the official website - the mosaics of John baptising Christ, saints, and floral motifs date to just before the Gothic conquest under Bishop Neon; and allegedly inspired a paranormal trance in Carl Jung 2/9

Bucket list time with a trip to - Ravenna!

One time capital of late Roman Empire, and later a Byzantine Exarchate, this is probably the best place in the world for late Roman/early Byzantine art.

First stop near the train station - mausoleum of Ostrogothic King Theoderic 1/8 The mausoleum was built in Ravenna after Theodoric took Italy in the 490s.

Its construction includes a massive porphyry Roman bath - perhaps used as Theodoric’s coffin - and a monolithic roof piece, now cracked under its own weight, made from a single 230 tonne stone 2/8

A tremendous day visiting what still stands out as one of the best Roman sites about - the fabulously presented and hugely impressive remains of the baths and temples of Aquae Sulis, the @RomanBathsBath 🧵 First built as a single bath besides a natural geothermal spring, the baths at Aquae Sulis would eventually become a sprawling complex of recreational facilities, bathing pools, and temples, roofed by the biggest vault in Britain, and in use for the best part of 400 years /2

At the northern extent of the Roman city, built into the vineyard laden hills, Trier’s huge Roman amphitheatre has re-emerged from centuries of desolation - robbed of its seating but with the massive structure still clear 1/4 The amphitheatre doubled as a gate to the city, the Roman wall running around the seating and staggering the two entrances to face into and out of Trier.

Spectators from the city side would have marched in through one of the two cavernous vomitoria, now partially collapsed 2/4