Aquæ Flaviæ is the ancient Roman

Roman

Roman or Romans may refer to:* A thing or person of or from the city of Rome-History:* Ancient Rome ** Roman Kingdom ** Roman Republic ** Roman Empire...

 name for the current city of Chaves

Chaves (Portugal)

Chaves is a municipality and municipal seat of an area 10 km south of the Spanish border and 22 km south of Verín in the north of Portugal. The municipality is the second most populous of the district of Vila Real...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

.

Pre-roman ocupation

The city was a center of pre-roman occupation, being the main town of the Turodi

Turodi

The Turodi were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, in the province of Trás-os-Montes and border areas in Galicia .-External links:*...

 people.

Roman domain

Aquæ Flaviæ was a major city in the Roman province

Roman province

In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...

 of Gallaecia

Gallaecia

Gallaecia or Callaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province and an early Mediaeval kingdom that comprised a territory in the north-west of Hispania...

, an important and strategic post, where three of the most important Roman roads converged: the roads to Bracara Augusta, Asturica and Lamecum. There was much movement between Bracara Augusta and Asturica, for the region had natural resources that were exported to Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

The city achieved municipium

Municipium

Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...

status in 79DC by Vespasian

Vespasian

Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...

.

Trajan bridge

Trajan

Trajan

Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...

's bridge over the river is a Roman monument that persists. It was built between the I and II centuries AD.

The bridge has a board with 140 meter in length, supported by 12 visible arches, with other 6 not visible (buried by houses). It is the main symbol of the modern city of Chaves. When the town received the charter of Manuel I

Manuel I of Portugal

Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...

, the bridge was represented in the coat of arms.

The bridge has two middle columns with inscriptions regarding it's construction.

One is from the time of Vespasian

Vespasian

Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...

 (known as Padrão dos Povos - Column of the Peoples) and mentions the civitates dependant of Aquae Flaviae: Aquiflavienses, Avobrigenses, Bibali, Coelerni

Coelerni

The Coelerni were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia in Hispania , part of Calaician or Gallaeci people , living in what was to become the Roman Province of Hispania Citerior, convent of Bracara Augusta , in what is now the southern part of the province of Ourense .Some sources, like Alarcão,...

, Equaesi

Equaesi

The Equaesi were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, between the provinces of Minho and Trás-os-Montes, near the border of modern Galicia .-External links:*...

, Interamici

Interamici

The Interamici were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, in the province of Trás-os-Montes, near the border with Galicia .-External links:*...

, Limici

Limici

The Limici were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the swamps of the river Lima, in the border region between Minho and Galicia .-External links:*...

, Naebisoci, Querquerni and Tamagani

Tamagani

The Tamagani were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, in the province of Trás-os-Montes, from the area of Chaves, near the river Tâmega.-External links:*...

. The roman legion Legio VII Gemina Felix is also mentioned.

Transcription:
IMP(eratori) CAES(ari) VESP(asiano) AVG(usto)
PONT(ifici)/ MAX(imo) TRIB(unicia) POT(estate)
X IMP(eratori) XX P(atri) P(atriae) CO(n)S(uli) IX/
IMP(eratori) VESP(asiano) CAES(ari) AVG(usti)
F(ilio) PONT(ifici) TRIB(unicia)/ POT(estate) VIII
IMP(eratori) XIIII CO(n)S(uli) VI[I]/ (...)/ C(aio)
CALPETANO RANTIO QUIRINALI/ VAL(erio)
FESTO LEG(ato) AVG(usti) PR(o) PR(aetore)/ D(ecimo)
CORNELIO MAECIANO LEG(ato) AVG (usti)/ L(ucio)
ARRVNTIO MAX(imo) PROC(uratori) AVG(usti)/
LEG(io) VII GEM(ina) FEL(ix)/ CIVITATES X/
AQVIFLAVIENSES AVOBRIGENS (es)/ BIBALI
COELERNI EQVAESI/ INTERAMICI LIMICI
NAEBISOCI/ QUERQVERNI TAMAGANI
Another (Column of Trajan) dates from the Trajan reign (104 DC).

Transcription:
IMP(eratori) CAES(ari) NERVA/ TRAIANO
AVG(usto) GERM(anico)/ DACICO PONT(ifici)
MAX(imo)/ TRIB(unicia) POT(estate) CO(n)S(ule)
V P(atri) P(ATRIAE)/ AQVIFLAVIENSES/ PONTE
LAPIDEVM/ DE SUO F(aciendum) C(uraverunt)

Other roman structures

Other roman remains include an aqueduct and roman dam (at Abobeleira). An amphitheater is know to exist from inscriptions mentioning gladiators

Gladiators

Gladiators is a British television series produced by LWT for ITV on Saturdays nights from 10 October 1992 to 1 January 2000. It is an adaptation of the United States game show American Gladiators. An Australian spin-off and a Swedish one followed...

, but its exact location in not known. Also famous was the Roman bath, which is believed to have lasted until the sixteenth century.