A municipium was the second highest class of a Roman city, and was inferior in status to the colonia.

The essence of the municipium was that it was self governing.

The first municipium was Tusculum. The citizens of municipia (of the first order) held full Roman citizenship and rights (civitas optimo iure), which included the right to vote.

A second order of municipia were typically formerly important tribal centres. Unlike the first order of municipia, residents in these municipia were not full Roman citizens (but its magistrates could become so after retirement), but they partook of the duties of full citizens in terms of their liability to taxes and military service. Most significantly, they had no right to vote (this was the ultimate right in Rome, and a sure sign of full rights). A municipium was governed by a council of four annually elected officials, all under the thumb of Roman rule.

The only known Municipium in Roman Britain was St Albans, then called Verulamium.

Ancient Rome | Roman towns types

Municipium | Municipium | Муниципии Древнего Рима | Municipium | Municipium