lusitania tours

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The Roman Empire's Western Extremity

The romans in portugal & extremadura.

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Tour introduction.

The wealth and peace brought to the former province of Lusitania by the Romans are reflected in the magnificent monuments left for us to admire across the province. Their variety allows us to see not just the richness of city life, but also the source of the riches and the infrastructure which allowed that life to flourish. This novel archaeological tour takes us through the Portuguese regions of Estremadura, Beiras and Alentejo and the Spanish region of Extremadura. Whilst we will visit many important Roman sites such as Conimbriga and Emerita Augusta, we will also learn how they generally settled in this western extremity of their empire at remote villas, infrastructure sites and even extant factories. We explore some of the region’s great cities such as Coimbra, Caceres, Evora and, of course, Lisbon. The tour is led throughout by renowned Roman historian, Dr Andy Fear of Manchester University who will provide insight, analysis and inspiring narrative to this fascinating period of history.

The conquest of Lusitania, the most westerly of Rome’s possessions, began in the 180s BC after raids by the Lusitani tribe into Rome’s province of Further Spain. Lusitani were a fierce tribe, the Roman writer Pliny derives their name from the wild rites (lusus) of the wine god Pan. Long wars of expansion followed with the Lusitani at times giving as good as they got. One chieftain, Viriathus, remains a Portuguese national hero to this day. The area was eventually tamed by Caesar in the 60s BC. It was made a separate province in around 25 BC by the Emperor Augustus and given a new, purpose-built capital at Merida whose Roman name means “The Emperor’s City for veterans”. Two famous governors who would have known Merida were the short-lived emperor Otho and the brother of the the Emperor Severus, Geta. The province was a peaceful one, but never quite forgot its military roots. Units of Lusitanians are found in the Roman army and legionary veterans from Merida are even found buried at Chester. As well as these Celtiberian tribesmen, the area also contained pure Celts as town names like Mirobriga and Conimbriga show, and some Phoenician traders had also ventured here. In prehistory the region was an important outpost of the Tartessic culture.

• With leading expert Dr Andy Fear
• Visit Conimbriga, Alcantara, Troia, Alcacer & more
• Explore the UNESCO listed town of Evora

"Well organised, clearly experienced and willing to go above and beyond to ensure a positive experience"

Day 1 – Conimbriga

Fly London to Lisbon and drive to the ruins of Conimbriga, the best-preserved Roman town in Portugal. We will explore many of the surviving buildings and great houses dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries: Repuxos House with its wonderful garden with its original hydraulics and fantastic mosaics; the tunnels and stalls of the amphitheatre; the thermal baths and of course its forum and wonderful museum. Continue to Coimbra where we check-in to our hotel for one night before pre-dinner drinks and an introductory talk.

Day 2 – Coimbra - Caceres

We take a short exploration of this important university city including its fine Roman cryptoporticus and interesting Macheda museum. Drive to the stunning bridge over the River Tagus at Alcantara, so well-built, that until only recently articulated wagons were crossing over it. Today access is limited to lighter traffic and so we can safely walk its length and see the aedicule dedicated to Trajan. Thence to Caceres where we spend the night.

Day 3 – Caceres - Emerita Augusta

Just outside Caceres we find an excellent example of a Roman camp dating to the 2nd century BC, whilst in the city itself we visit the lovely Museum of Roman Art. Travel to Merida, the one-time Roman capital of Lusitania founded in the 1st century BC known as Emerita Augusta. It boasts one of the finest collections of extant Roman architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. We will spend more than a day exploring its theatre, amphitheatre, circus, bridges and water management systems, temple, many residential buildings and the superb Museum of Roman Art. Check-in to our Merida hotel for two nights.

Day 4 – Medellin - Emerita Augusta

We travel out to the superb Roman theatre nestled below the romantic ruins of Medellin’s Medieval castle whilst at Quintana de la Serana we find a Roman watchtower and quarry. This afternoon we return to Merida to continue our discovery of this exciting Roman city.

Day 5 – Proserpina Dam and Badajoz

Built to ensure a bountiful water supply to Emerita Augusta, we walk over this earth dam with its retaining wall which still serves the purpose it was designed for 2000 years ago. Thence to the Roman villa at Torre Aguila with its Octagonal and Summer rooms with their hypocaust, the thermal baths and mill and press. We continue to Badajoz where we visit its wonderful archaeological museum. We spend the night in the delightful, fortified city of Elvas just inside the Portuguese border.

Day 6 – Evora and Alcacer

We spend the morning in Evora where there is the opportunity to explore this UNESCO listed town, including the wonderful Roman Temple surrounded by a host of equally magnificent medieval religious buildings and its fascinating museum. After lunch we visit the Roman Villa of Sao Cucufate ending our day at Alcacer do Sal where we find the remains of a Roman cult site and a small museum. Check-in to our hotel in Alcacer do Sal.

Day 7 – Mirobriga and Troia

We drive to Santiago do Cacem with its imposing castle and the important Roman archaeological site of Mirobriga with its baths, Forum and hippodrome. Thence to the Roman remains on the Troia Peninsula which include an extant garum factory! Continue to Lisbon for the return flight to London

Recommended Reading List

• Roman Power: A Thousand Years of Empire
• Romans in Spain
• Spain Under the Roman Empire
• The Roman Empire: a very short introduction

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Roman Lusitania

The Romans in Portugal and Spain

Rome first ventured into the Iberian Peninsula in 218 BCE, campaigning against Hannibal and the Carthaginians. By the time of the Emperor Augustus, 200 years later, all of Spain and what was later to become Portugal, was in Roman hands. The province of Lusitania included much of Portugal and western Spain, and its capital, Mérida, is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in Europe, although still surprisingly little known to mainstream tourism. We will travel through beautiful Portuguese landscapes of rolling countryside dotted with cork oak, vineyards and olive groves across to Spain’s remotest region, the Extremadura, with its mountains, forests and lakes.

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What to Expect

• Discover superb Roman monuments and extraordinary feats of engineering at the Prosperino Dam and Aqueduct Los Milagros
• Enjoy beautiful landscapes from the coast at Lisbon to the Spanish Extremadura and the heart of old Spain
• Explore Mérida, Evora and the lovely town of Cáceres, a gem of a perfectly preserved medieval town

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Exploring Roman Portugal

During the Roman period Portugal was known as Lusitania. The Romans arrived in Portugal in the 2nd century BC and left a lasting legacy that can still be seen in the country’s architecture, language, and culture today. Roman cities such as Conimbriga, Ammaia, and Milreu showcase the impressive engineering and urban planning skills of the Romans, while the use of Latin in the Portuguese language is a testament to the enduring influence of Roman culture.

Roman Sites in Portugal

Museums with roman collections in portugal.

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North of Spain & Lusitania from Barcelona

• In-depth Cultural
• Fully Guided

Places You’ll See

• Day 1 BARCELONA-ZARAGOZA- SAN SEBASTIAN (590 kms)
• Day 2 SAN SEBASTIAN-BILBAO- SANTANDER (205 kms)
• Day 3 SANTANDER-SANTILLANA- COVADONGA-OVIEDO (235 kms)
• Day 4 OVIEDO-LA CORUÑA (295 kms)
• Day 5 LA CORUÑA- SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (75 kms)
• Day 6 SANTIAGO-RIAS BAJAS-VIGO (90 kms)
• Day 7 VIGO-VIANA DO CASTELO- BRAGA-PORTO (220 kms)
• Day 8 PORTO
• Day 9 PORTO-COIMBRA (120 kms)
• Day 10 COIMBRA-FATIMA-LISBON (222 kms)
• Day 11 LISBON
• Day 12 LISBON-CACERES-MADRID (613 kms)

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Operated by vpt tours.

We are a Spanish Tour Operator with 100% private capital, part of the touristic and business holding Transvia Group (since 1967). Given that, one of our strengths is the economic and institutional solvency as a company. VPT Tours is formed by professionals with unrivalled experience and expertise committed to serve you with the awareness of working with people and their dreams, we are at your disposal to make your trip a pleasant and enjoyable experience.

Customer Reviews

• Overall Rating Good 4.0
• Itinerary Good 4.0
• Guide Good 4.0
• Transport Average 3.0
• Accommodation Average 3.0
• Food Good 4.0
• Tour Operator VPT Tours 3.9

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• Upcoming departures
• August 2024
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• October 2024
• Get Instant Confirmation Sunday 21 Apr, 2024 Thursday 2 May, 2024 English, Spanish Multiple Room Types €1,555 Confirm Dates
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• Currency € Euro Portugal and Spain

As a traveller from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
• Hepatitis B - Recommended for Portugal and Spain. Ideally 2 months before travel.
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• Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
• For any tour departing before 17th May 2024 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after 17th May 2024, a minimum payment of 10% is required to confirm your booking with VPT Tours. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 30 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
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The Lusitanos

During the Carthanigian rule, a small tribe occupied the interior of what is today the country of Portugal. This tribe was tucked in the Beira Alta area, protected by the mountains of Serra da Estrela.

The Lusitanians are what is recognized as the ancestors of the current-day Portuguese culture. They had their own Lusitanian language and an advance culture. The Lusitanians were skilled workers and fighters. During the Roman wars, the Lusitanians were led by the legendary Viriato (Viriatus). A statue of Viriato is proudly displayed in main square of the central town of Viseu. At its peak, Lusitania comprised the areas between the Douro and Tagus River.

At about 200 B.C., the Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula, defeating the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars. The conquer of the Iberian Peninsula was relatively easy for the Romans, as they encountered friendly tribes. However, the Lusitanians were another story. They successfully held off the Romans in various legendary scrimmages. Viriatus, the Lusitanian leader, defeated several Roman legions. Only when the Romans successfully bribed a Lusitanian trusted official to kill Viriatus, did the Lusitanians fall. Thus became the period of the Romanization of Lusitania.

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A Haunting Look Inside the Lusitania

• Post author By Bowery Boys
• Post date May 6, 2015
• 1 Comment on A Haunting Look Inside the Lusitania

The Lusitania gets dwarfed by recollections of the Titanic .  But in many ways, the destruction of the Cunard Line’s premier ocean liner on May 7, 1915, was a deeper tragedy than that of the White Star liner.

As a casualty of war — sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of southern Ireland — the Lusitania disaster began a slow but inevitable march towards the United States’ entry into World War I. Â Its destruction send a shockwave through Americans and Britons alike. Nobody sailing the Atlantic was safe.

Almost 1,200 people died that afternoon of May 7th. Among the deceased were millionaires ( Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt ),  impresarios ( Charles Frohman ), writers, scientists,  nurses and soldiers.

The ship itself was a major loss both for Cunard and the British military as the ship was fitted for active service. Here are a selection of images from 1905 (courtesy SMU Central University) of the Lusitania in all her glory, years before her demise.

Interspersed are some newspaper clippings from its initial launch in 1906 and some from 1907, the year the vessel first sailed to New York.

For more information on the Lusitania , check out our podcast on the Chelsea Piers or read my book review of Dead Wake , the latest by Erik Larson.

From the Lusitania’s debut in Scottish waters, New York Times June 08, 1906:

“GLASGOW, Scotland, June 7. — The new Cunard Line steamer Lusitania , the world’s largest liner, was successfully launched at Clydebank to-day, and was named by Dowager Lady Inverclyde. Hundreds of visitors from all parts of the country, besides thousands of the local population, witnessed the ceremony.

The Lusitania is the first of the giant Cunarders to be launched, and her sister, the Mauretania , will follow her into the sea a month ago.  The Lusitania is 790 feet long, and her greatest breadth is 88 feet, while her depth molded is 60 1/2 feet.”

Cabin accommodations:  552 first class, 460 second class, 1,186 third class. 2,198 total

NYT , July 31, 1907 :  “LUXURIOUS OCEAN TRAVEL. The new Cunarder Lusitania is now afloat, and will soon be on her way to New York. She is at the present moment the largest and most richly appointed ocean steamship in the world, though she may take second place within a year or so.”

Headline from the New York Times , September 7, 1907:

LUSITANIA STARTS FIRST TRIP TO-DAY; Will Race the Lusitania Across in an Effort for a New Record. BOTH BOATS ARE FULL Colossal Ferries Groomed for the Event — Lusitania Will Burn 1,000 Tons of Coal Daily.

From the New York Tribune, October 10, 1907

Third class:

The kitchen:

Second-Class Ladies Lounge:

Officers smoking lounge:

From the New York Tribune, October 14, 1907

First class smoking room, music lounge, and library entranceway:

And pictures of the ‘regal suite’, the nicest rooms on the boat:

An officer atop the navigation bridge:

And finally — the navigation bridge

You can find many more images at Flickr Commons , courtesy Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library

• Tags Chelsea Piers , ocean liners , RMS Lusitania , Titanic

1 reply on “A Haunting Look Inside the Lusitania”

Were there any artifacts recovered? China, etc

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Lusitania Experience - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Charlie Porter
• Memorabilia
• Inside the Lusitania
• Board of Trade
• Last resting place
• The Kinsale Inquest
• Deadly Cargo
• What the Papers said
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• Books&DVD

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The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 still captivates us today, with numerous books, a multibillion-dollar movie , museums , and, controversially, expensive tours of the wreckage available.

Interest in the ship led to another maritime tragedy last year when an OceanGate submersible went missing on the way to the wreckage and was eventually confirmed to have imploded , killing all five people on board.

In the aftermath, stories emerged about people invited to participate in one of OceanGate's trips but decided against it — much like, more than 100 years ago, how people were fascinated with those who had almost been on the Titanic.

Here are seven notable figures, some of whom were among the richest people in the world, who were supposed to sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage but didn't — and four well-known people who were booked to go on a future journey with the ship.

Milton Hershey, the founder of Hershey's, sent the White Star Line a $300 check to reserve a spot on the Titanic, but he ended up sailing home on the SS Amerika instead.

As they aged, Hershey and his wife, Catherine, spent their winters on the French Riviera. In December 1911, the couple left for another extended European vacation. For their return journey, Hershey wrote a $300 check from the Hershey Trust Company to the White Star Line to reserve places on the maiden voyage of the company's brand-new ship, the Titanic.

According to Lancaster History , pressing business matters forced Hershey to cut his vacation short, and he left Europe just days before the Titanic would set sail, instead heading home on a German liner called the Amerika, which would later warn the Titanic about the dangerous amount of ice.

Hershey's canceled check is still in the possession of the Hershey Community Archives , and you can view it online.

J. Pierpont Morgan — yes, J. P. Morgan himself — had a personal suite on the Titanic and had attended its launch party in 1911. But he extended his French vacation and missed the sinking.

"I've never been able to find an authoritative 1912 source explaining the exact reason why J. P. Morgan canceled his passage on the Titanic," the Titanic expert George Behe told Reuters in 2021. Some speculated that the reasons were that he was in bad health or having issues with customs because of his art collection.

However, we know that Morgan, the cofounder of General Electric, International Harvester, and US Steel, was also the founder of the International Mercantile Marine, which in turn owned White Star Line. According to The Washington Post , he was even on hand to witness its 1911 launch.

"Monetary losses amount to nothing in life," Morgan told a New York Times reporter after the sinking. "It is the loss of life that counts. It is that frightful death."

Guglielmo Marconi, the Nobel Prize winner who invented the radio, opted to head to the US three days earlier on the Lusitania, forgoing a free ticket on the Titanic.

You might know that Marconi was considered a hero after the sinking of the Titanic because his invention, the wireless radio, helped ships in the surrounding area find where to look for the lifeboats.

But did you know he was almost on board the ship himself?

His daughter Degna wrote in her 1926 book, "My Father, Marconi," that he was offered a free ticket aboard the Titanic. But because his stenographer got seasick, Marconi opted to sail to the US on the Lusitania because he trusted that ship's stenographer more than Titanic's, Degna wrote.

Henry Clay Frick, the chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, missed the sailing of the Titanic because his wife sprained her ankle in Italy and needed to be hospitalized.

Visitors to New York City might recognize Frick's name from the Frick Collection or the Henry Clay Frick House. He was an important industrialist and a patron of the arts — and he was close to sailing on the doomed voyage.

"The Fricks booked the suite first, and then Mrs. Frick sprained her ankle while they were in Europe buying art and touring and things; so, they stayed behind to get medical attention," the historian Melanie Linn Gutowski told CBS News Pittsburgh in 2012.

"The suite that they booked, that some historians think that they booked, was some kind of savior suite in a way," she continued. "Everybody who booked it managed to survive either by not being on the ship, or jumping into a lifeboat at the last minute."

Eventually, the tickets made their way to J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. Controversially, he was one of the few men who made their way onto a lifeboat and survived. He was criticized for this for the rest of his life.

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt canceled his ticket on the Titanic at the last minute. He was on board the Lusitania when a German U-boat sank it in May 1915.

As a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was a well-known member of New York society, so there was media coverage when it was revealed he'd narrowly escaped the Titanic.

Unfortunately, just a few years later, he was aboard the Lusitania , a British ocean liner that was sunk by German U-boats in 1915. He was one of the 1,200 passengers who did not survive the attack.

The American journalist Theodore Dreiser was persuaded by his publisher to take a cheaper ship home across the Atlantic.

Dreiser wrote about his brush with disaster in a chapter of his 1913 memoir, "A Traveler at Forty." Slate said the section about the Titanic, "The Voyage Home," was "one of the most gripping chapters in the memoir."

Dreiser wrote that he wanted to sail home with the rich and powerful people aboard the Titanic to get a peek at how the other half lived, but added that his publisher convinced him to sail home on the Kroonland, a cheaper ship, two days before Titanic sank.

"The terror of the sea had come swiftly and directly home to all," Dreiser wrote, according to Slate. "To think of a ship as immense as the Titanic, new and bright, sinking in endless fathoms of water. And the two thousand passengers routed like rats from their berths only to float helplessly in miles of water, praying and crying!"

John Mott, another Nobel Prize winner, was also offered a free ticket on the ship, but he chose a smaller ship, the Lapland, instead.

Mott, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was the longtime leader of the YMCA, was another near-miss. Gorden R. Doss , a professor at Andrews University, said that Mott came close to death a few times.

First, he skipped the Titanic and opted for the Lapland. Three decades later, in 1943, he narrowly avoided a train crash.

Mott said, "The Good Lord must have more work for us to do" upon hearing about the sinking, according to Sotheby's .

There were other celebrities who had tickets to sail the Titanic in the future, had it not sank. J.C. Penney was set to sail on the ship's next trip from England to New York.

According to the Smithsonian Magazine , the founder of JCPenney was set to sail on the Titanic's second  voyage from England to the US.

Frank Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tires, was booked to return to Southampton on the Titanic's next voyage.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Seiberling, the cofounder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and his wife frequently traveled to England and were huge admirers of English architecture. But one of their trips was postponed when their ship out of the States, the Titanic, sank.

So was John Alden Dix, the governor of New York.

Smithsonian Magazine also reported that Dix, the governor of New York from 1911 to 1913, was on the passenger list of the Titanic's return trip to England.

Henry Adams, a historian who was a descendant of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams, was also booked on this trip.

"My ship, the Titanic, is on her way," Adams wrote in a letter on April 12, 1912, "and unless she drops me somewhere else, I should get to Cherbourg in a fortnight." As history tells, Adams was never able to board the ship and was forced to book passage elsewhere, The New Republic's Timothy Noah wrote.

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