Castra Ala Nova

Fort Ala Nova, or also Schwechat Fort, is a former Roman cavalry fort (alae fort for 500 horsemen) situated within the Austrian section of the Upper Pannonian Limes. The fort was situated in the municipality of Schwechat, Lower Austria, a few kilometres east of Vienna. The area of the former cavalry fort encompassed the site of today's Alanovaplatz, the cemetery and the brewery grounds in the Klein-Schwechat district. The deployment of a mobile cavalry unit was a strategic necessity to more effectively secure the expansive plain between Vindobona and Carnuntum along the Danube and to facilitate rapid response in case of an emergency. It is likely that Ala Nova was built in the late 2nd century, with the current Alanova Square initially comprising fortifications constructed from wood and earth. At the beginning of the 3rd century, the fort was rebuilt in the form of a rectangular, fortified structure enclosed by stone walls. It is evident that the fort underwent several phases of remodelling during its occupation, extending up to the 5th century. Based on the evidence of individual finds, it can be postulated that at least one civilian settlement (vicus) existed in the area surrounding the fort. Burial grounds have been discovered in the vicinity of Schwechat's main square and to the south of the fort, at Frauenfeld. Since 2021, the archaeological monument has been part of the D

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).