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Fig. 2.
Plan of the forum with
its different sectors: 1)
Area; 2) Main temple
and sacred area; 3)
Criptoporticus; 4)
Ambulacra; 5) Basilica;
6) Curia; 7) Tabernae.
walled perimeter and of the urban layout, which follows a perfect
orthogonal plan, with 35- x 70-meter insulae separated by seven large
longitudinal streets (cardines) and other transversal streets (decumani).
The original urban plan also contemplated reserving a public area
in which the buildings which, over time, would gradually make up
the forum of the city were constructed. We are only partially familiar
with the rest of the urban area. In the eastern area there are the large
stately domus, with rooms decorated with mosaics and large garden
areas and, next to them, the recently excavated remains of the city’s
public thermal baths. Outside the urban centre, next to the southern
wall of the city walls, other public buildings have been found, such
as the amphitheatre and the palestra (Aquilué, Castanyer, Santos,
Tremoleda 1999, p. 69-103).
The Empúries forum, which occupies the space corresponding to
four insulae, is located at the crossing of the two main streets, the
cardo and the decumanus maximus (fig. 2). The first explorations in
the forum area date back to 1900, although the true archaeological
excavation in this sector started in 1964 and the first archaeological
interpretation of the remains of the forum was not considered until
1982-1983 (Aquilué, Mar, Nolla, Ruiz de Arbulo, Sanmartí,
1984).
Meanwhile, the most remarkable aspect of the actions carried out
until then was, without a doubt, the architectural reconstruction
of part of the portico and of the roof of the ambulacrum, as well as
two shrines in the religious area which close off the square in the
north, carried out in the mid-1970s. Unfortunately, these restitu-
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