Archaeological Park Matilo - Leiden

About 2000 years ago, where the Matilo Park is now located, there was a Roman border fortress: Castellum Matilo. This national monument is not excavated, but to make something of the Roman past visible, the Archaeological Park Matilo has been constructed.

In the middle of the park, the high earth walls with watchtowers bring the castellum back to life. The ramparts have the same dimensions and are in the same place as the ramparts of the original fort. The iron sheet piling refers to the banks of the Corbulo canal, dug by the Romans, between the Rhine near Leiden and the Meuse near Naaldwijk.

The park contains a number of striking 'line images'. They tell you something about the contrast between the two nations that met here. For example, "the sower" symbolizes the local population, the Cananefates. They stayed close to home and used nature as it was. "The surveyor" refers to the Romans, who already looked beyond what they knew and used the world to their liking.