When the capital of United Kingdom was called Londinium...
London is one of the greatest city that exists and probably I'm not the only person that claims that this place is special, almost magical.
When I first visited London I was overwhelmed by its beauty and mysterious character, but I didn't really know a lot about history of London, actually I knew nothing at all. But is it really possible to feel the city without even knowing its secrets and history, without knowing what happened to it before? I believe every place has its own story to tell and this is the beginning of London's.
It all started with Thames. As Christopher Winn says in his book about London: "The river makes London breathe and feel the breeze. It gave life to London and may one day take it away."
Before 47 AD there wasn't such place as London. It was only dicovered by Romans who found it really suitable for the Empire's nessesities. The river there was narrow enough to locate a wooden bridge, that became the first ever London's bridge. It was supposed to enable the army continue its push northwards. Whatsmore due to the fact that the river was tidal it was also deep enough to allow ships to come and go from the coast. These few things were main reasons why Romans thought it was an ideal place for a trading post. Over couple of years that settlement, that was soon called Londinium, grew and developted. Soon foreign merchants, traders and displaced natives begun travelling to Londinium in search of new opportunities. Cetral part of the new commercial city was located more or less in the same place where The City of London is now situated. It's funny though, that that area is still occupied by financial buisness and institutions.
The first crisis came in 60 AD when Londinium was razed by Boudica, queen of Iceni tribe of Norfolk. Boudica and her tribe devastated the whole 40 acres of city ground at the same time killing thousands of people and traders that had settled there. Unfortunately that attack left a litlle layer of red ash on the ground. That was the first Great Fire of London. Suprisingly Romans didn't left the city but quickly rebuilt it. It must had been too important place for them to abandon. After the Great fire it became a planned and walled Roman city, stronger than before. In the following years commercy in Londinium developted and it soon turned into a place where a lot of diffrent cultures met. Traders from many diffrent countries exchanged their goods and that resembles to me a lot like a London we know today. Where the world has its centre..
//Julie
http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-london/roman-london
Christopher Winn "I never knew that about London"
