PODCAST – Introduction Minerva

Welcome to the walking tour through Roman Meerssen. The Roman goddess Minerva will accompany you.

Religious heritage is the calling card of Meerssen. No wonder, because anyone visiting Meerssen cannot miss its beautiful basilica, the showpiece of Meuse Gothic architecture. The Leopold Chapel and the synagogue also deserve special mention.

The bronze relief by Wil van der Laan on the façade of the town hall opposite the basilica shows important moments from the region’s history. Minerva will point out the relief to you along the way. The title of the artwork, “Marsna”, refers to the Roman era in the Geul Valley.

During Roman times, the waters of the River Geul, the fertile soil and the hillside forests rich in game created ideal conditions for living and working. Add to this the fact that the Via Belgica passed through the Geul Valley, and it becomes clear why this was such an ideal place to settle.

Numerous archaeological discoveries show us that the Geul Valley was a pleasant and prosperous place to live and work during Roman times. Just as it still is today.

And where people live, gods are never far away. The discovery of fragments of a statue of Minerva shows that this goddess was present for the inhabitants of the Geul Valley. Whether Minerva, goddess of wisdom and crafts, really existed? That is not a question one asks a goddess!