Time To Kill – Tarsatica: The Destiny of Ancient Rome & Modern Rijeka (Traveling The Croatian Coastline #32)

“Time to kill” is one of those phrases that does not make much sense. Truth be told, we don’t kill time time, it kills us. Saying otherwise, ignores reality. There is no way to defeat time, but there are productive ways to make the most of it. Killing time is not one of them.

We had arrived at Rijeka’s bus station in the late morning. Our accommodation would not allow us to check in until 6:00 p.m. Realizing this, I regretted ever booking it. If I would have taken the time to learn that in advance we would have stayed somewhere else. The hostess wanted an exorbitant fee to allow for an early check in. This was nothing more than a trick to squeeze more money out of foreigners. We did not take the bait, instead dropping our bags at a left luggage facility within shouting distance of the bus station. Now we had seven hours to make our initial explorations of Rijeka. We headed straight for the Korzo, a pedestrianized street with cafes spilling onto the pavement and high street shops. It was the place to be and be seen in Rijeka.

Coffee & Conversation – In Between Wars

Even on a Monday morning the Korzo’s cafes were packed with Croatians partaking of their favorite pursuit, slowly sipping coffee, smoking one cigarette after another and engaging in endless conversations. While the western world rushed to work on a Monday morning, many Croatians still enjoy the eternal delights of the Balkans. These are people who know how to enjoy life. If that enjoyment means Monday morning meetings with friends, rather than work colleagues, all the better. Watching this transpire during our first hour in Rijeka helped me understand that it is more about the conversation than the coffee. It was almost for me to imagine the same people with lackadaisical looks on their face, fighting a series of intensely destructive wars during the 20th century. In between those wars, I assume they spent a great deal of time at cafes and coffeehouses doing nothing other than enjoying themselves.

After making the requisite stop at a café, we found ourselves stepping through the arched entryway beneath Rijeka’s famed clock tower and into the Old Town. A short walk brought us to another archway, but this one was covered by a banner showing what was contained behind it. This was an arch that marked what had once been the main entrance to the Tarsatica Principia, a Roman military town and supply base. Beyond the arch was Julije Klovic Square, overlooked by anonymous residential and commercial buildings. One portion of the square was home to a set of exposed Roman ruins, what was left of Tarsatica’s core. These are the best ruins to be found in Rijeka today.

It was fascinating to see modern and ancient architecture side by side in the square. The juxtaposition of the new with the old, made the ruins much more impressive than they would have been if set off by themselves. The modern buildings surrounding the square were nondescript, the ruins were anything but that. Set amid this city square, they were an object of fascination. Their location caused me to wonder what else lay beneath the city. A treasure trove of other architectural artifacts could lie just beneath parts of the Old Town. The thought of discovery and exposure of more ruins from ancient Rome is a tantalizing prospect.

Ancient portal - Gate that was once the main entrance to Tarsatica

Threat Assessment – Defending An Empire

Exploring the ruins of Tarsatica did not take long. Despite their small size, they told a much larger story. Tarsatica was the southern anchor point for a Roman system of defensive fortifications built in the late 3rd century. Known as the Claustra Alpia Iuliarum (Barrier of the Julian Alps), this combination of fortresses, guard stations, towers and walls stretched for hundreds of kilometers through what is now northeastern Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. It was an interior defensive system deeper within the empire than the Limes, the border area further to the north. The Claustra Alpia Iuliarum acted as a ready response system that allowed Roman forces to deal with both internal and external threats. Tarsatica was one of the system’s anchor points, a defensive bulwark that played a larger geopolitical and military role than its size might suggest. ?We were fortunate to experience the ruins. It is not very often that an archeological park opens in a city center. Until the past decade, one could not be found in Rijeka either.

The ruins of Tarsatica were opened for public display in 2014. This was part of a larger makeover that down and dirty Rijeka had been given in the hopes of cultivating tourists. It was also part of a historic revamp that helped Rijeka become one of two European Capitals of Culture in 2020. Prior to the last decade, Rijeka and ancient Rome were anything but synonymous. Unrealized potential was the hallmark of Rijeka tourism. The city’s Roman ruins were a fine example of this. The city was, and for many still is, a pass thru place for those looking to catch ferries or buses to more popular destinations along Croatia’s coastline or on its islands. ?Perceptions of Rijeka are slowly being transformed. It has made inroads to becoming a destination for tourists, a process that will take many years. The ruins of Tarsatica have been one of many good starting points.

Viewing the modest ruins, I could see how fragments of the ancient past impose themselves upon the present. All the surrounding modern structures in the square were nothing more than background filler. The ruins captured my attention as a focal point. They attracted attention and spoke volumes about the staying power of antiquity. While Rijeka exploded with growth during the past 150 years, at least a portion of Tarsatica’s ruins proved indestructible. As the city grew up, around, and atop them, these ruins managed to maintain their dignity in the face of modernity.

Looking down upon the past - Tarsatica Principia in Rijeka

Futureshock – The Remains of Rijeka

The cityscape of Rijeka had altered the area irreparably. Yet the ruins of Tarsatica managed to somehow survive. Silent and dignified, modest and indifferent, they offered tangible evidence of antiquity’s foothold in this region. They also allowed me to travel forward in time. Viewing the ruins made me think not only of the past and present, but also the future. My thoughts turned away from Tarsatica and towards how our own civilization would be viewed in the future. Hopefully there would be something left of Rijeka for generations to ponder several thousands of years into the future, but I was not quite sure. The ruins of Tarsatica gave me hope, they also gave me doubts. Was this all that would be left of Rijeka in some distant future? Answering that question was impossible, though I probably already knew the answer.