Concept

History of St Albans

Résumé

St Albans is a city located in Hertfordshire, England. It was originally founded as Verlamion a settlement belonging to the Catuvellauni (a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century).It was subsequently transformed into the Roman settlement of Verulamium from where it grew into a municipium around AD 50. After the Anglo-Saxon settlement it was known as Verlamacaestir. It later became known as St Albans because of its association with Saint Alban. The Roman city of Verulamium, the third largest town in Roman Britain after Londinium and Colchester, was built alongside the Celtic settlement in the valley of the River Ver nearer to the present city centre. The settlement was granted the rank of municipium around AD 50, meaning that its citizens had what were known as "Latin Rights", a lesser citizenship status than a colonia possessed. It grew to a significant town, and as such received the attentions of Boudica of the Iceni in 61, when Verulamium was sacked and burnt on her orders: a black ash layer has been recorded by archaeologists, thus confirming the Roman written record. It grew steadily; by the early 3rd century, it covered an area of about , behind a deep ditch and wall. It was encircled by gated walls in AD 275. Verulamium contained a forum, basilica and a theatre, much of which were damaged during two fires, one in 155 and the other in around 250. One of the few extant Roman inscriptions in Britain is found on the remnants of the forum (see Verulamium Forum inscription). The town was rebuilt in stone rather than timber at least twice over the next 150 years. The city is named after St Alban, a convert to Christianity who, according to medieval sources, lived in the Roman city. He was martyred in either the third or fourth century. Bede's Ecclesiastical History gives an account of Alban being beheaded on a hill outside the city. This suggests that the cathedral, built on a hill above the Roman city, may have been built on the site of his martyrdom.

Source officielle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_St_Albans

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