Albaniana (Roman fort)

Albaniana was the name the ancient Romans gave a settlement on the southern banks of Rhine river, some 40 kilometers from its mouth in the North Sea, known as Alfen and modern-day Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands.

They did build a military fort (Latin: castellum) there, as part of a range strategically built encampments, to protect and guard the river, frontier (limes) of the Roman Empire and main transport route of goods and troops.

The historical map Tabula Peutingeriana situates the settlement in between Matilo (Leiden) and Praetorium Agrippinae (Valkenburg) downstream and Nigrum Pullum (Zwammerdam) and Fectio (Vechten) upstream.

A dendrochronological dating of the wood enables us to say that the fort was built after the state visit of Caligula to Germania Inferior in AD 40–41.

Caligula built this fort with the idea of crossing over to Great Britain; this was not accomplished during his reign, although his successor Claudius succeeded.

From archaeological findings can be concluded, south-west of the fort, on higher grounds, locals did offer their goods and services to the Romans.

[3] In 1920, the director of the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden professor Jan Hendrik Holwerda, did visit the building site of a church in the center of Alphen and concluded from findings, that it must be seen as a fact that the Romans have been lived here.

In addition, leftover food had been preserved, making it possible to research the farming techniques and eating habits of the soldiers.

At the museum, the early history of the village has been recreated, including live experiencing Roman times through re-enactment.