Archaeologists in Romania have uncovered the main eastern gate of a Roman legionary fortress at ancient Apulum, revealing new details about one of Roman Dacia’s most important military centers. The Porta Praetoria once provided a major entrance to the fortress of Legio XIII Gemina, or the 13th Twin Legion. Researchers identified the structure during excavations at the Capistrano Bastion in modern Alba Iulia. At a depth of about four meters (13 feet), archaeologists found the massive foundation of one of the gate’s towers.
The discovery comes about 40 years after researchers identified the fortress’s southern gate, the Porta Principalis Dextra, in 1986. Comparing the two structures is helping archaeologists reconstruct the appearance and layout of the military complex.
Monumental gateway led to legion headquarters
Researchers believe the Porta Praetoria had two large rectangular towers and two arched passageways separated by a central wall. Roman builders used opus quadratum, a construction method involving large stone blocks cut into regular shapes and laid in horizontal rows. The remains at Apulum include substantial limestone blocks, reflecting the scale of a permanent Roman legionary fortress.
Archaeologists in Romania have uncovered the main eastern gate of a Roman legionary fortress at ancient Apulum.
The monumental Porta Praetoria once led into the base of Legio XIII Gemina and was later reused beneath a medieval gateway. pic.twitter.com/QwiRS5p5l0— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 7, 2026
The gate also marked the beginning of the Via Praetoria, one of the camp’s main roads. It led toward the principia, the headquarters and administrative center of Legio XIII Gemina. Identifying the gate gives archaeologists another fixed point for mapping the fortress. Researchers can now better examine how its roads, entrances and central buildings were connected.
Roman foundations supported a medieval gate
The site remained important long after the Roman military complex fell out of use. Archaeologists found that medieval builders reused the Roman foundations for the St. George Gate. The same strategic location therefore served as a major entrance centuries later.
A historical account may offer another clue to that connection. Seventeenth-century chronicler Wolfgang Bethlen described an image of Romulus and Remus being nursed by the legendary she-wolf above the medieval entrance. He believed it could have been a Roman relic. The excavation now allows archaeologists to compare such historical descriptions with surviving remains.
New clues to ancient Apulum
Apulum grew around the fortress after Rome conquered Dacia in the early second century A.D. The military presence helped turn the area into a major center of administration, trade and civilian life. Settlements, workshops, roads and public buildings developed around the legionary base. Apulum eventually became one of the largest Roman communities north of the Danube.
Recent archaeological discoveries in Romania have also provided new evidence about urban life in Roman Dacia, including excavations at Partoș near Alba Iulia. The newly identified gate gives researchers a clearer view of the fortress at the center of that settlement and how it shaped the city’s later development. The National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia is leading the excavation with support from the Alba County Council. Archaeologist Anca Timofan is coordinating the research.
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