Gilău Military Camp and Vicus

In the dendrological park of the Wass-Bánffy – Barcsay noble castle in Gilău, you will find one of the first forts built on the territory of the province of Dacia. Erected from earth and wood during the reign of Emperor Trajan, the fort will later be rebuilt from stone. Its existence will span the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD, throughout the entire Roman rule in Dacia.

As part of the ensemble of Roman fortifications on the western border of Dacia Porolissensis, the auxiliary fort at Gilău had an important role in monitoring access from the west and ensuring the overall security of the city of Napoca, located just 16 km away.

Occupying a strategic position on a terrace overlooking the course of the Someșul Mic River, at an altitude of 430 m, the fort controlled the route from Bologa, which ran along the valleys of Crișul Repede – Căpuș and Someșul Mic. At the same time, the fort oversaw the valleys of the Someșul Mic and Someșul Rece rivers, leading westward into the mining district of the Apuseni Mountains.

The first troop to construct and station in the small earth fort at Gilău was probably the cohors I Pannoniorum equitata, a subdivision of the Roman army consisting of 500 soldiers. In this initial phase, the fort measured 130 x 116 m (1.508 ha).

At the beginning of Emperor Hadrian's reign, it was replaced by a cavalry troop – ala Siliana, leading to the expansion of the fort. The fort's enclosure, initially made of earth and wood and later of stone, was greatly enlarged, reaching dimensions of 221 x 137.5 m (3.038 ha).

The archaeological discoveries from the fort at Gilău are quite spectacular. These include: 3 military diplomas, one of them intact, 13 inscriptions, some fragmentary, as well as a multitude of weapons and military equipment, among which a cavalry helmet mask used in parades stands out.

The cavalrymen from an ala were better paid than the infantry, which is also evident from the exceptional quality of the usual findings: glass and bronze vessels, luxury ceramics (terra sigillata), fibulae and jewelry pieces, medical and surgical equipment pieces.

If you have already visited the Wass-Bánffy Castle in Gilău, built in Renaissance style in the 15th-16th centuries, you can head to Cluj-Napoca to visit the museums, the "Romulus Vuia" National Ethnographic Park, and the "Alexandru Borza" Botanical Garden, one of the most beautiful in the country.

If you're a romantic at heart and drawn to fortresses and castles, from Cluj-Napoca you can follow the route to Dej, which will lead you to Bánffy Castle in Bonțida, the Citadel of Dăbâca, Teleki Castle in Luna de Jos, and Kornis Castle in the village of Mănăstirea.