September 24, 2021 - The Andautonia For Everyone programme in the Turpolje region archaeological park this weekend will present the life of the Ščitarjevo ancient Romans.

Give or take 24 minutes by car from Zagreb to the south-east lies the village of Ščitarjevo. Belonging to the nearby town of Velika Gorica, Ščitarjevo is the home to Andautonia, an ancient Roman town from (which existed from the first to the fourth century), and now a significant archaeological excavation site. Since back in 1994, it has also been an archaeological park and is quite the attraction for the region of Turopolje.

''Alongside the main street paved with stone slabs which are 27 metres in length, lie porches with preserved foundations for colonnades (iconic Roman columns). A larger part of the city has been excavated on the east side of the street with a semi-circle pool, halls, canals, and a hypocaust heating system. The west side saw the discovery of an access road followed by two monumental buildings,'' the Velika Gorica Tourist Board website stated when describing Andautonia.

As TCN previously reported, the park is known for organising various events that depict how Romans used to live in their old town in central Croatia, and this weekend, September 25 and 26, in honour of European Heritage Day, the Andautonia Archaeological Park will host the ''Andautononia For Everyone'' programme, the entry to which is free of charge.

''The goal of the programme is to present the site to the widest audience possible. All of the content will be free and adapted to those who are blind or otherwise visually impaired. The programme will present various workshops and games both children and adults used for entertainment back during Roman times. Visitors can also view the Roman scent exhibition, and an open-air exhibition will present the project of the further development of Andautonia Archaeological Park with an interpretation centre. Pets are welcome too,'' says the Škole.hr website.

The website also adds that the park has interpretation posts with various pieces of information on the development of the Roman settlement and more.

''Excavations also revealed that in the first century, there was a cemetery which was destroyed by floods and new construction,'' pointed out the Velika Gorica Tourist Board.

With Ščitarjevo being a village, you can learn more about Croatian rural tourism in our TC guide.

For more about history in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.