Roman Necropolis of Carmona

On the edge of the old town, on Avenida Jorge Bonsor, lies the city of the dead of Roman Carmo: hundreds of family tombs cut into the rock, with niches for urns, and some large mausoleums such as the Tomb of Servilia and the Tomb of the Elephant, named for the sculpture of an elephant found inside. Opposite is the Roman amphitheatre. It is one of the most important sites on the Peninsula for how well it is preserved.

What you will see

It was discovered in the late 19th century by Juan Fernández López and the English archaeologist Jorge Bonsor, and dates from around the 1st century. The most common rite was cremation: bodies were burned on pyres cut into the rock, which sometimes also served as a tomb. The most usual burial is the family mausoleum, an underground chamber reached by a shaft with steps, with a bench running round for offerings and niches opened in the walls. In some you can still see the marks of the doors.

The Tomb of the Elephant was in fact a sanctuary dedicated to Cybele and Attis, the god who died and was resurrected every year and who was deeply rooted in Carmona; the elephant came to be its great symbol of eternity. The Tomb of Servilia, from the time of Augustus, is the most monumental: it imitates a luxurious Hellenistic mansion, with an arcaded courtyard, a covered gallery and a funerary chamber with a pointed vault, and must have belonged to a family of powerful Roman officials.

Opposite, the amphitheatre had a good part of its seating cut into the escarpment, below street level; only the upper part was built.

Admission and opening hours

Free. In autumn it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00; last entry is one hour before closing. Closed on Mondays; on public holidays, ask on 600 14 36 32. Allow an hour and a half. The paths are earth and there are steps down to the tombs: it is not comfortable with a pushchair.

Getting there and what to combine it with

It is at 9 Avenida Jorge Bonsor, outside the old town. Afterwards, go up to the City Museum, which explains Roman Carmo with models and mosaics, or to the Puerta de Córdoba, the Roman gate at the other end of the old town.