Římská vojenská pevnost u Mušova Fortress

Římská vojenská pevnost u Mušova is an archaeological location located on the hill Hradisko in Olbramovická hill. The rest of the fortress is located today in the Pasohlávky village register in the Brno-venkov district, on a strategically located hill above the Mushovska water tank of Nová Mlýna in Dyja. The archaeological traces of the fortress are protected as a cultural monument.

The Roman residence is known for a long time - local farmers traditionally found Roman objects during field work. It is assumed that the Romans had already used the site in the campaign of Tiberius against Marostavi in 6 AD. The main development of the fortress falls in the second half of the 2nd century, during the reign of Emperor Mark Aurelius. During this period, Roman troops were penetrating far beyond the northern bank of the Danube in Moravia and Slovakia. In 172, troops embarked on a military campaign against the Germanic Marcomans led by Ballomar, known as the Marcomanical Wars (approximately 166-180). The numerous findings of the camps confirm the Roman presence - from Evíček in the north to other camps in Nedědín and Modřice. However, the largest concentration was in the vicinity of Hrastí, where about twenty thousand soldiers wintered and up to one hundred thousand men during summer campaigns.

Systematic archaeological research began only in the 1920s. In 1925, the owner of the land Josef Lieber started digging, who in three days discovered the first Roman bricks. The State Archaeological Institute then began its probationary work in 1926 and systematic research in 1927 and 1928 under the leadership of the experienced Anton Gnirso with the support of President T. G. Masaryk. Gnirs uncovered an area of approximately 100 × 100 meters and found the remains of two buildings. Once there was a rectangular residential building with four rooms. The second construction was a luxury spa with half-circle closure (balneum), equipped with underfloor heating (hypokaustum), water supply and decorated with coloured plaster. Bricks with Legionnaire boots and the inscription LEGXGPF suggest that the buildings were built by the tenth legion, called Legio Decima Gemina Pia Fidelis (dual, loyal, loyal).

In 2020, the visitors' centre "Gate to the Roman Empire" was opened near the fortress. The memory of Mark Aurelius's military campaign also serves a column on Piazza Colonna in Rome, covered with reliefs showing individual episodes of war against Marcomans.