In the year 106, the Roman army took over the Dacian fort, Porolissum, of major strategic importance controlling the passage between the Pannoian plane and the Transylvanian plateau. The Romans set up a stronghold and built fortifications. At the same time, a civilian city, Municipium Septimium Porolissensis, grew up and was home to up to 20,000 inhabitants. The site on the top of a hill, commands a spectacular panorama of the surrounding mountains.