Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae
Church
Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae, located in Annecy (Département 74), is a ancient remains built in Antiquity. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Antiquity
- Location
- Annecy, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.9117, 6.1213
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118346
An exceptional vestige of the ancient city of Boutae, this Gallo-Roman basilica dating from the 2nd century reveals Annecy's influence at the time of Rome: a monumental civil building buried under the centuries, listed as a Historic Monument.
History
In the heart of Annecy, the ruins of the Basilica of Boutae are one of the most remarkable archaeological testimonies to the Romanisation of the Northern Alps. Boutae was the ancient name of Annecy, a prosperous vicus established on the shores of the lake at the crossroads of the routes linking the Rhône Valley to the Transalpine region. The basilica formed the civic and commercial heart of the town, a tangible sign of its complete integration into the orbit of Rome. What makes this site so unique is the wealth of information it provides on urban life in the Alps during the High Empire. Unlike the major cities on the plains - Vienne, Lyon, Avenches - Boutae remained a secondary town, yet it was equipped with a classical basilica: a building with a judicial, commercial and administrative vocation, whose presence here bears witness to a real provincial architectural ambition. The experience of visiting the site is one of living archaeology. The excavated foundations make it possible to read the ground plan clearly, and the interpretation panels recreate the vanished volume of a building that must have been around ten metres high. Attentive visitors will recognise the bases of the columns, the doorways in cut limestone and traces of opus signinum flooring. The setting, between the lake and the Alpine foothills, heightens the emotion of the place. Where tourists flock to the Palais de l'Isle and the lake, the Boutae basilica offers an unexpected counterpoint: that of an Annecy two thousand years old, whose mute stones still speak to those who know how to listen.
Architecture
The basilica at Boutae fits into the well-established architectural canon of Roman provincial civil basilicas: an elongated rectangular plan, oriented according to local topographical constraints, with a high, light-filled central nave framed by two aisles separated by rows of columns or pillars. Archaeological findings suggest that the building was around 30 to 40 metres long and 15 to 20 metres wide, proportions consistent with those of a basilica in an Alpine vicus. The materials used reflect local resources: lacustrine limestone from Lake Annecy, which is easy to cut and plentiful, formed the main structure of the walls, while the decorative elements - column bases, thresholds, cornices - could be made from finer limestone or tufa. The walls, made of opus incertum or small regular units, were probably covered with painted plaster on the inside, in accordance with provincial custom. The roof, which has now disappeared, must have been made of flat tiles (tegulae) and round tiles (imbrices). Excavations have uncovered some remarkable features: fragments of drum columns, attic bases with a classical profile, and traces of waterproof tiled concrete floors (opus signinum). An apse at one of the short ends, designed to house the statue of the emperor's genius or the magistrate's seat, distinguished the Boutae building and links it to the best typological analogues known in Gaul.
Related Figures
Auguste — organisateur de la romanisation des Alpes et créateur du réseau routier qui permit l'essor de BoutaeMarc Aurèle — sous son règne s'achève l'apogée de la cité de Boutae et probablement l'édification de la basiliqueÉrudits savoyards du XIXe siècle — premiers documentateurs des vestiges antiques d'Annecy après le rattachement à la FranceArchéologues du Service Régional d'Archéologie Rhône-Alpes — responsables des fouilles systématiques du XXe siècle ayant dégagé le monument
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae located?
Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae is located in Annecy, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae built?
Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae dates back to a period built during Antiquity.
Is Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae open to visitors?
Edifice gallo-romain dit Basilique de Boutae is currently closed to visitors.