The Roman Palace beneath St. Pölten’s cathedral square

The cathedral square in St. Pölten is one of the best archaeologically investigated and therefore most interesting places in Lower Austria. The finds range from Roman times to modern times.
Since St. Pölten became the provincial capital of Lower Austria in 1986, there has been a significant increase in archaeological excavations, partly due to increased building activity. The value of the research for the city is also underlined by the employment of a dedicated city archaeologist, Dr. Ronald Risy, since 2010. He led the excavations on the cathedral square from 2010 to 2019, during which around 20,000 human skeletons from the Middle Ages to the 18th century were uncovered. These form the world's most comprehensive database for researching people and the environment from the Middle Ages to modern times.

A palace from Roman times
However, the finds from the cathedral square go back much further into the past. The Roman city of Aelium Cetium, probably one of the least known Roman cities in Lower Austria, was located where the old town of St. Pölten is today. During the major excavations on the cathedral square, it was possible for the first time to document larger contiguous building complexes.

The excavation site is located near the Roman forum, which can probably be localized under the Herrenplatz. Particularly noteworthy is the discovery of an extensive, multi-part building from the early 4th century AD, which had a unique bathhouse as well as an administrative and residential wing. Around 350 AD, the complex was extended to include a representative hall with an apse and further rooms with underfloor heating. Halls with an apse were used for representation and are usually found in late antique governors' palaces or imperial residences. Like so many magnificent Roman buildings, this palace was also used as a kind of quarry in post-Roman times: The complex was converted into a church in the 9th century, and the subsequent buildings also used Roman building fabric.

Capital city in antiquity too?
The discovery of the Roman governor's palace is perhaps an indication that Aelium Cetium could have been the long sought-after seat of the governor (praeses) of the province of Noricum ripense (Ufernorikum). In any case, the finds show that Aelium Cetium was much more important in Late Antiquity than was previously generally assumed.

Tip: Many finds from the excavations on Domplatz are on display in the St. Pölten City Museum.