Cardo

For the crustacean genus Cardus, see Polychelidae.

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In Roman city planning, a cardo or cardus was a north-south-oriented street in ancient Roman cities, military camps, and colonia. The main street of the city was most often the cardo and was sometimes called the cardus maximus. The cardo served as the center of economic life. The street was lined with shops, merchants, and vendors.

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Most Roman cities also had a Decumanus Maximus, an east-west street that served as a secondary main street. Due to varying geography, in some cities the decumanus is the main street and the cardo is secondary, but in general the cardus maximus served as the primary road. The Forum was normally located at the intersection of the Decumanus and the Cardo.

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The cardo was the "hinge" or axis of the city, derived from the same root as cardinal. The term 'cardus' is derived from the north-south line the augurs would draw when making the auspices.

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Ancient Roman: REDIRECT Ancient Rome...

Colonia: A colonia was a Roman outpost, usually established by veterans of a Roman Legion, who received land as a part of their retirement from the Legions. In time the term evolved to denote the highest status of a Roman city....

Decumanus Maximus: In Roman city planning, a Decumanus Maximus was an east-west-oriented road in a Roman city, military camp, or colonia. The main decumanus was the Decumanus Maximus that normally connects the Porta Pretoria (in a military camp, closest to the enemy) to the Porta Decumana (away from the enemy). In t...