Tongeren: Ambiorix Statue

Tongeren — the first and oldest city in Belgium. Founded by the Romans around 10 BC, it was burned down by the Batavians half a century later, only to rise again, proudly rebuilt. Tongeren became the illustrious capital of the civitas Tungrorum, the administrative district of the region, where the Mediterranean influence of Rome was undeniable: a flourishing villa landscape, a magnificent aqueduct, grand temples and bathhouses, and markets brimming with exotic goods.

Even today, the Romans are never far away in Tongeren-Borgloon. Most hotspots are just minutes apart, neatly linked by the Roman city walk. Along this city walk, on the Grote Markt, you will find the monumental statue of Ambiorix, the legendary leader of the Eburones tribe who inflicted heavy defeats on the Romans in the 1st century BC.

The Ambiorix Statue

The statue was unveiled in 1866, during a period of strong Belgian nationalism, and has since become the symbol of the city. It is the work of Belgian sculptor Jules Bertin, who portrayed Ambiorix as a proud and combative figure, dressed in a mix of Celtic and romantic-heroic attire.

Ambiorix is known as the man who, together with his fellow tribesman Catuvolcus, ambushed the Roman legions of Sabinus and Cotta in 54 BC—an episode described by Julius Caesar himself in De Bello Gallico. Although the revolt was eventually crushed and the Eburones were almost entirely exterminated, Ambiorix lived on as a symbol of resistance and independence.

An Immersive Change to the Roman Walk, 2027

The story of Tongeren doesn’t end there. In 2027, the Roman city walk will receive a multidimensional upgrade as part of the VIA VIA project. The Roman hotspots on it will be enhanced with reconstructions and immersive storytelling. You will get an even clearer sense of the Roman road and the Roman city of Tongeren, and you will also be invited to visit the aqueduct, the Plinius springs, the Gallo-Roman temple, and other local sites. Through an app, you will see what the streets of Atuatuca Tungrorum, the capital that is now Tongeren, looked like in the second century. Your gide? An AI character from the glory days of Roman Tongeren.

Are you ready for a stroll through the past?

“We cross a modern aqueduct and reach the edge of the city. Atuatuca Tungrorum. I have dreamed of visiting the only city in the region for so long. It does not disappoint. So many colours and scents. So many sounds. Barking dogs, shouting people, the rattling carts of traders like us. The streets overflow with delights. The finest fabrics. Exotic fruits and woods. Bottles and flasks. Oil from the south. Meat, bread, and perfumes. Two women argue loudly in a language I do not understand. Men in open doorways beckon passers-by inside. The sweet aroma of a bathhouse mingles with the stench of boiling animal bones for glue. I am ecstatic and despondent at the same time. For how can we sell our wares in this place? Here, in this city that already has everything?” Ammulva Iucunda