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Justiniana Prima

Field	Value
name	Justiniana Prima
native_name	Јустинијана Прима
native_language	sr
native_name2	Царичин Град
native_language2	sr
image	Царичин Град 4.JPG
image_size	200
caption	Remnants of the city
founded	535 AD
built_for	Archbishopric, Imperial estate
demolished	17th century
restored	Partially in the 1930s
embed	yes
designation1	Serbia
designation1_type	Archeological Site of Exceptional Importance
designation1_date	12 February 1949
designation1_number	AN 24

Justiniana Prima (; ; ) was an Eastern Roman city that existed from 535 to 615 CE, near modern Lebane in the Leskovac region, Serbia. It is currently an archaeological site. Founded by Emperor Justinian I (527-565), it was the metropolitan seat of the newly founded Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, which became the main church administrative body of the central Dardania with jurisdiction from Praevalitana to Dacia Ripensis. Justinian Prima was originally designed to become the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum, but for reasons likely related with its status near the Roman frontiers of the 6th century CE, Thessaloniki was preferred. It was abandoned less than 100 years after its foundation.

In 1979, the archaeological site of Justiniana Prima, identified with Caričin Grad, was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance-list under official protected status by the Republic of Serbia.

History

Justiniana Prima was founded by Emperor Justinian I in 535. Built on the site of Tauresium, a remote village, it existed until 615 and was designed as the seat of the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima. The arch-priest of the Illyrians ('Ιλλυριών άρχιερεύς) seated in Justinian Prima had jurisdiction over Dacia Ripensis, Dacia Mediterranea, northern Moesia Superior, Dardania, Macedonia Salutaris (was omitted in 545, in the Novella 13), Praevalitana and the territory of Bassianae in Pannonia Secunda.

The establishment of the Archbishopric is mentioned in Justinian's own Novel XI from 535, when he promotes the Metropolitan to an archbishop, independent from the Archbishop of Thessalonica. The establishment is seen as part of the feud between Justinian and the Archbishop of Eastern Illyricum, who was a papal vicar.

The city was to become capital of Illyricum, but Thessaloniki was preferred and Justinian Prima received jurisdiction over the territories of the Diocese of Dacia. Still, the new foundation was not without importance and Justinian made sure that this city, which was one of his favourite projects, received all the necessary support. In 545 Justinian issued another law underlining the episcopal rights and status of Justiniana Prima, which is also confirmed by letters that were exchanged between Justinian and Pope Gregory I at the end of the 6th century.

The city planning combined classical and Christian elements: thermae, a levantine agorai, and streets with colonnades. Typical Eastern Mediterranean features went along with numerous churches. Procopius, in his The Buildings, describes the city as follows:

The town was abandoned at around 615. Invading Avars coming from north of the Danube may be one factor, missing political interest in the town after the time of Justinian may be another. Among many other imported finds the presence of 2 pieces of a specific type of fibulae and handmade pottery have been understood as an indication of the presence of Slavs already before the Avar incursion (584).

Archaeological site

The huge correlation between the archaeological site and the description by Procopius as well as finds of seals of the archbishop of Iustiniana Prima have determined the identification of Justiniana Prima with Caričin Grad. The archaeological site was first discovered in 1912 by Vladimir Petković. There have been archaeological excavations for nearly 100 years with the participation of French and more recently also German researchers. There is a permanent exhibition in the national museum in Leskovac. At the site itself monuments there are impressive remains of the fortification, the acropolis as well as of several churches and many other buildings. Justiniana Prima is on UNESCO’s preliminary list of World Heritage Sites.

References

Sources

References

"Информациони систем непокретних културних добара".
"Споменици културе у Србији, Царичин град".
[http://www.vgi.mod.gov.rs/ The Military Geographical Institute of Serbia]
(2003). "Theory and Practice in Late Antique Archaeology". Brill.
DMMS, page 216
(2020-05-12). "Permanent Exhibition - Народни Музеј Лесковац".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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