Last Roman chandelier reconstructed by Spanish archaeologists

Last Roman chandelier reconstructed by Spanish archaeologists

Image - Archaeology Museum of Elda

THE last remaining Roman chandelier has been rebuilt following its discovery by Spanish archaeologists.

The last remaining Roman chandelier has been rebuilt following its discovery by Spanish archaeologists in the ruins of the workshop.

The lamp, at 0.5 metres in diameter and with 32 candle or fuse spots, was used to illuminate large spaces during the Roman Empire.

The rare find, which is now on display at the Elda Museum in Alicante, Spain, was lovingly restored by local art teacher Eva Maria Mendiora.

The Roman masterpiece is believed to have been created in the 1st Century AD by a potter named Lucius Eros. Augustus and Tiberius ruled while Eros was alive, and he engraved his name on the mould he made.

Another four lamp types were found at the archaeological site Elo-Monastil, where Eros is believed to have had his workshop and several kilns.

His workshop was discovered in 1989 and more kilns were found in 2009 and 2010.

In 1989, professor of Ancient History at the University of Alcala de Henares Antonio M. Poveda explained how chandeliers like this one would have taken someone with a lot of expertise to make.

Because of this, they were quite rare and only wealthy people had them made to order in cities such as  Elche and Alicante, with large rooms to light up.

This latest discovery is the first of its kind to have been preserved.

The lights worked by poking fuse through holes in the lots of tubes and oil was piped through to keep it lit.

They were soon replaced by lamps made of metal materials.


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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