Elements of the Roman Empire can now be seen standing alongside modern property in Spain, with Cartagena one example of where this has been allowed to happen to good effect.

The site is one of the places rewarded with an EU cultural heritage award on the 2010 round of presentations.

European commissioner for culture Androulla Vassiliou explains that the accolade recognises both the work done to explore the Roman theatre in the city and the way in which it has been incorporated into the wider community.

For instance, tourists spending some of the year in property in Spain‘s Murcia region can now head to Cartagena for the chance to see relics unearthed in the excavations on the site.

They are on show in a museum on the site of the Roman theatre itself, which has "fully been incorporated into the city since its restoration" according to the commissioner.

In a further link with Rome, Cartagena is built on a series of hills although, unlike Rome’s seven peaks, the Spanish city is constructed on just five hills.

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