About 3 kilometers south of Auxerre, in the French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, archaeologists have uncovered a vast Roman villa that spans more than 4,000 square meters. Its enormous size completely changes what was previously known about the site, which had already been known since the late 19th century but had never been systematically excavated.
In 1966, the creation of a gravel pit in the area required a first survey that was limited to a superficial clearing of 2,400 square meters, which revealed the remains of a rectangular building of more than 700 square meters composed of about ten rooms, one of them ending in an apse. The walls were made of masonry, with reused fragments of funerary steles and columns. The discovery of ceramics, coins, and other objects at the site confirmed continuous occupation between the 1st and 4th centuries AD.
That discovery is now completely overshadowed by what the current excavations are bringing to light. What was discovered in 1966 was nothing more than a modest secondary wing of a huge monumental residence, one of the largest Gallo-Roman villas documented to date.
A Structure That Redefines the Scale of Gallo-Roman Villae
What the archaeologists have unearthed is a complex that far exceeds all initial expectations. It is a villa organized around a central square garden of more than 450 meters per side, and enclosed by a perimeter wall.
To the north lies a large rectangular pool and to the south a small ornamental fountain. Around it are porticoed galleries connecting the main rooms, the salons, the agricultural areas, what may be the kitchen, and, in the east wing, private baths of considerable size.
Archaeologists have found hypocausts, underfloor heating systems, and traces of mosaics, elements which, along with the sumptuousness of the architecture, leave no doubt about the status of its inhabitants. We are not talking about a simple country residence, but the core of a vast agricultural estate managed by a family belonging to the political or economic elite of the region, the archaeologists explain.
The researchers believe a correlation can be made between the villa’s evolution and that of Autessiodurum, ancient Auxerre, which went from being a small secondary settlement in the 1st century to becoming a civitas capital in the 4th century.
They have identified at least two construction phases at the site, although they do not rule out a third, which would indicate that the complex expanded and was modernized in step with the city’s growing administrative importance.
Unlike other Gallo-Roman villae where the residential part (pars urbana) is usually smaller than the areas dedicated to agricultural production (pars rustica), in this case the size and luxury of the residential area are exceptional.
It is rare to find a pars urbana so developed and excavated so extensively, the team notes. The private baths, gardens, hydraulic systems, and the probable presence of wall decorations or mosaic floors point to a level of wealth comparable to that of the great aristocratic residences of southern Gaul.
On the occasion of the European Archaeology Days (JEA), the site will exceptionally open its doors to the public next Sunday, June 15, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The visits, guided by the archaeologists themselves, will be free and accessible via a shuttle service from the L’Arquebuse parking lot, on the Boulevard of November 11.
For the researchers, this is only the beginning. Much of the recovered material remains to be analyzed, from ceramics to organic remains, which will allow for a more precise reconstruction of the daily life of those who inhabited the site nearly two millennia ago. For now, the Auxerre villa is already emerging as a key discovery for understanding urban planning, the economy of Roman Gaul, and the power dynamics that shaped its territory.
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