Roman Fort of Răcarii de Jos

About Roman Fort of Răcarii de Jos

On the left terrace of the Jiu, about 6 km south of Filiași, the Romans built a temporary marching camp during Trajan's Dacian wars (101–102 and 105–106). After 157 it was followed by a large earth fort that housed a numerus of Moors, probably horsemen, known from a military diploma found in the late 19th century. Around AD 200 the enclosure was rebuilt in stone, then rebuilt again after destruction in the early 3rd century and the great Carpic invasion of about 247. Its position far behind the frontier shows that its main task was policing and keeping order in the centre of Oltenia. The fort was most likely used until the Roman administration withdrew, and a vicus of up to 40 ha spread around it, partly under today's railway station.

The rectangular enclosure measured about 170 x 141 m, with four gates, four corner towers and two intermediate towers on the long sides. The most imposing building was the headquarters (principia), 37 x 34 m, with a standards room braced by buttresses, a sign that it had an upper floor. The first excavations were made in 1897–1898 by Grigore Tocilescu and Pamfil Polonic, then by Grigore Florescu in 1928 and 1930; since 2003 research has resumed every year, run by the National History Museum of Romania and the Oltenia Museum in Craiova. Hundreds of fragments of bronze statues, tiles and bricks stamped with the unit's name, weapons, coins and pottery have come to light.

Information verified on 12 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the fort is next to Răcari station, on the edge of Răcari village, Brădești commune, about 6 km south of Filiași, on the left terrace of the Jiu. The enclosure is about 70 m south-west of the station.

Public transport: Răcari station is on the Craiova–Filiași line; check the CFR Călători timetable to see which trains stop.

Fees & discounts

No entry fee is published; the site is in the open air.

Rules

A site protected by law: do not climb on the walls, do not take anything from the ground and respect areas covered or fenced off for research.

Facilities

Open-air site, no facilities