Sempeter Roman Necropolis

The cemetery of Roman Celeia stood beside the road out of the town until the Savinja flooded in the third century and buried the monuments in gravel, which is why they survived. Excavation from 1952 recovered enough blocks to reassemble four large tomb monuments standing several metres high, along with many fragments, and they were re-erected on the spot. The reliefs carry portraits of the families who paid for them and mythological scenes: Europa on the bull, Hercules, Iphigenia.

What to look for

• The Spectatii monument - the largest reassembled tomb, standing several metres.
• The Europa relief - the abduction of Europa carved on one of the monuments.
• The family portraits - carved likenesses of the Celeia families who commissioned them.
• The in-situ setting - the monuments re-erected where they were excavated.

When to go

April to October; the site closes for winter. Morning and late afternoon light suit the reliefs. It is open air with little shelter from rain.

Practical notes

It is a small open-air site and an hour covers it. The monuments are reassembled from fragments and the joins are visible. There is little shade and no cover in rain.

Nearby

Celje is east, and Logar Valley is northwest.