Public relations
In close cooperation with the Curatorium Pro Agunto, the Federal Monuments Office and the planning company REVITAL, restoration and renovation work has been carried out in the Aguntum Archaeological Park, originally established under the leadership of Dr Leo Gomig, since 2013.
The scholarly presentation of the remains is being implemented with full consideration of conservation requirements (conservator Franz Brunner). Since 2017, insights from this project have also been applied to the restoration initiative “The Episcopal Church of Lavant. Research – Restoration – Mediation.” The aim is to present the archaeological findings as faithfully to the original as possible, while ensuring durability in terms of conservation and a high standard of aesthetic design.
In addition to these activities in the open‑air site, the Aguntum Museum is being continually expanded, and the scientific results and research questions are discussed in international workshops. Most recently, the commercial forum of Aguntum was integrated into the archaeological park and officially opened.
Aguntum Archaeological Park outdoor area
The redesign of the Aguntum Archaeological Park, which has been supervised by the Curatorium Pro Agunto (Dr Leo Gomig) since 2013, enables a contemporary presentation of the excavation findings. Following excavation and documentation, most of the ancient building structures will be brought back underground and recreated on the surface as faithfully as possible. The design of the park area is being driven forward primarily by the Curatorium Pro Agunto, which began upgrading the archaeological park back in the 1990s with the support of the Department of Archaeology.
Literature
M. Tschurtschenthaler / M. Auer, Zum Stand der archäologischen Forschung in Aguntum, in: B. Hebert / N. Hofer (eds.), Alte Mauern - Neue Konzepte. Aguntum - Conservation and Development, FÖ Tagungsband 3 (Vienna 2016), 9-25.
Aguntum Museum
Completed in 2006 by the Curatorium Pro Agunto, the Aguntum Museum is under the scholarly supervision of the Aguntum Research at the Department of Archaeology, University of Innsbruck. Nearly 15 years after its opening, the museum is currently being redesigned; the first step is a new presentation of finds from the ongoing excavations in the center of the municipium.
Literature
L. Gomig (Hrsg.), Municipium Claudium Aguntum. Das Stadtzentrum (Dölsach 2016).
The "bishop's church" of Lavant
Owing to its mountainside location and the way the ruins are embedded in the landscape, the Early Christian church of Lavant is a major tourist attraction in East Tyrol. In recent decades, the building’s state of preservation has steadily deteriorated, necessitating extensive conservation measures. Working with a team of archaeologists, conservators, building historians, and materials scientists, the church was re‑examined and presented to the public through on‑site interpretation and outreach.
Aguntum workshops
In the course of the Aguntum workshops, regional and supra-regional topics are alternately addressed and discussed in an international workshop in Aguntum that is open to the public. The workshops are published in the Harrassowitz-Verlag series "Ager Aguntinus. Historisch-archäologische Forschungen".
2025: Naturkatastrophen im archäologischen Befund / Natural Disasters in the Archaeological Record, 07/08 November 2025, Dölsach/Aguntum
2023: Römische Fora und Marktplätze / Roman Fora and Market Places, 03/04 November 2023, Dölsach/Aguntum
2021: Frühes Christentum im archäologischen Kontext / Early Christianity in the Archaeological Context, 04/05 November 2021, Dölsach/Aguntum
2018: Römische Siedlungen und die "Reichskrise" im 3. Jahrhundert AD / Roman Settlements and the Crisis of the 3rd Century A.D., 15/16 November 2018, Dölsach/Aguntum
2017: Bergbau in Osttirol und angrenzenden Regionen, 10 November 2017, Dölsach/Aguntum
2016: Römische Siedlungen an der Drau / Roman Settlements along the Drava River, 3-4 November 2016, Dölsach/Aguntum
2015: Von Aguntum zum Alkuser See. Zur römischen Geschichte der Siedlungskammer Osttirol, 5 November 2015, Dölsach/Aguntum