Eboracum

Eboracum was the Roman fortress and town on the site of present-day York in northern England, established in the Roman period as a military base and later a civic centre. It served as one of the major Roman strongholds in northern Britannia.

The site includes the layout of a legionary fortress, defensive works and contiguous civilian settlements; archaeological finds include altars, inscriptions and building remains now held in local museums. Visitors can see fragments of the Roman walls and interpreted displays in York’s museums.

Founded as a military fort in the first century AD, Eboracum developed into a regional centre during the Roman occupation of Britain; its historical record includes the event in AD 306 when Constantine was acclaimed emperor while stationed there. Over the late Roman and post-Roman periods the site was adapted and partially reused in later medieval construction.

Eboracum lies within the historic core of modern York in North Yorkshire, England, with visible remains concentrated around the city centre and along the line of the old Roman and medieval walls.

• Eboracum is Roman York: The Roman name Eboracum refers to what is now the city of York; substantial Roman-era remains are integrated into the modern city and its museums.
• Constantine's proclamation: The proclamation of Constantine the Great as emperor in AD 306 took place at Eboracum, an important historic event linked to the site.

What to See #

• Roman fortress (Eboracum) site: Remains of the Roman legionary fortress laid out in a rectangular plan with internal streets and barracks; substantial traces survive below and within the medieval and modern street plan of York.
• Multangular Tower and Roman walls: A polygonal defensive tower and sections of the Roman city walls that are visible today as part of York's medieval walls, showing Roman foundations and later reuse.
• Roman collections in local museums: Collections of Roman artefacts and inscriptions displayed in local museums, including sculptures, altars and everyday objects excavated from the Roman city and its cemeteries.