Mediana

About this place

Mediana is a late Roman archaeological site in the eastern suburb of Niš and the best preserved part of Roman Naissus. It was a luxurious residence with a villa, baths, a granary and a water tower, raised near a thermal spring by Constantine the Great, who was born and raised in Naissus. The villa dates to Constantine's reign, between 306 and 337, and he passed several laws in Naissus in 315, 319, 324 and 334. Later emperors stayed here too, among them Julian, Valentinian and Valens. The residence was abandoned after Attila's forces devastated the city in 442. In 1979 the site joined Serbia's list of archaeological sites of exceptional importance. The site covers over 400,000 square metres. At its centre stands a villa of about 6,000 square metres, whose peristyle porch had 450 square metres of geometric mosaic floor. A modern arched roof shelters the villa and its floors, and a small hall displays sculptures from the site. You can see the remains of marble columns and the baths, and the granary lies about 150 m west of the villa. It is 4.5 km in a straight line from Niš Fortress, an easy short taxi ride. Read a little about Constantine before you go, since the remains are low and the story adds a great deal. Guides say it often closes on Mondays, so do not leave it for the last day of your stay.