Roman city Ocuri discovered by 18th-century pioneer in Cádiz

In the late 18th century, Juan Vicente Vegazo Montes de Oca, a landowner from Ubrique, Cádiz, uncovered an entire Roman city through intuitive excavation. Driven by curiosity regarding vestiges in the Benafís el Alto area, Vegazo purchased the Salto de la Mora hill in 1793.

To facilitate his search, Vegazo used the planting of a vineyard as a cover for his excavations. His efforts, which continued until 1798, revealed various structures and inscriptions dedicated to emperors Antoninus Pius and Commodus. These findings identified the lost city as ‘Ocuri’.

Vegazo is considered a pioneer of archaeology for documenting his findings. While his original 1795 manuscript was lost, details of his work survived through an 1808 copy made by botanist Simón de Rojas Clemente. The site is currently recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural.