Monuments gallo-romains
MonumentHidden Treasure
Monuments gallo-romains, located in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.5300, 5.4368
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081091
Under the cobblestones of Aix-en-Provence, ancient Rome rises to the surface: monumental thermal baths, mosaics and the remains of Aquae Sextiae reveal two millennia of history in the heart of Provence.
History
Aix-en-Provence is not just the town of Cézanne and the Cours Mirabeau: it is first and foremost Aquae Sextiae, one of the first Roman colonies to be established on Gallic soil, founded in 122 BC. The Gallo-Roman monuments that stand out here and there in the urban fabric are an exceptional testimony to the Romanisation of Provence, a region that was among the first to be integrated into the Roman world north of the Alps. Listed as historic monuments since 1963, these protected remains form an undreamt-of archaeological treasure trove. What makes this site truly unique is its superimposition of successive urban layers. Unlike archaeological sites isolated in a rural landscape, the Gallo-Roman remains of Aix-en-Provence are in constant dialogue with 17th-century Baroque architecture, 18th-century town houses and the contemporary city. This urban palimpsest offers a unique insight into the long history of the city, where each renovation project is likely to reveal a new fragment of the ancient past. The visitor experience oscillates between in situ discovery and museum-like contemplation. Some remains can be seen directly in the public space - sections of ancient roadway, column bases built into medieval walls - while other elements, notably the remarkable mosaics and everyday objects unearthed during the excavations, are preserved and exhibited at the Musée d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne in the Palais de Longchamp in Marseille and the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence. This dual dimension - field excavations and museum collections - gives us an insight into the daily lives of the inhabitants of Aquae Sextiae in all their complexity. The setting in Aix amplifies the sense of wonder: under the golden light of Provence, the limestone cut by Roman craftsmen seems to regain its original brilliance. The mild Mediterranean climate, identical to that enjoyed by Roman settlers twenty centuries ago, invites visitors to stroll slowly and attentively through this living archaeological landscape.
Architecture
The architecture of the Gallo-Roman monuments in Aix-en-Provence is part of the provincial Romanisation tradition: it adopts Roman canons - opus incertum, opus reticulatum, semicircular arches, hypocausts for heating the thermal baths - while incorporating local know-how linked to the quarrying of Provençal limestone. Aix molasse rubble, the soft golden stone characteristic of the region, is the basic building material, supplemented by fired bricks for the vaults and tubuli of the thermal baths. The baths, significant remains of which have been unearthed beneath the present-day town centre, are a perfect illustration of the sophistication of Roman engineering: a hypocaust system ensuring the circulation of hot air under the paving slabs, successive rooms of increasing temperature (frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium), and lead pipes supplying the pools. The mosaics uncovered during the excavations feature geometric and vegetal decorations typical of the Gallo-Roman provincial repertoire of the Early Empire, with a few figurative panels testifying to the artistic ambitions of the local patrons. The partially excavated ancient roadways reveal the care taken with the urban infrastructure: careful paving of large limestone slabs, side gutters and milestones. Portions of the late urban rampart, built in the 3rd century using older materials, remain integrated into medieval buildings, providing an architectural stratigraphy that can be read right through the stone.
Related Figures
Gaius Sextius Calvinus — consul romain fondateur d'Aquae Sextiae en 122 av. J.-C.Gaius Marius — vainqueur des Teutons à la bataille d'Aix en 102 av. J.-C., bienfaiteur de la citéAuguste — empereur sous lequel la cité connut son premier grand développement monumentalEsprit Calvet — érudit aixois du XVIIIe siècle, l'un des premiers collecteurs de vestiges antiques locauxFernand Benoit — archéologue provençal du XXe siècle, pionnier des fouilles systématiques à AixHenri Rolland — archéologue ayant dirigé les fouilles de l'oppidum d'Entremont et contribué à contextualiser Aquae Sextiae
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monuments gallo-romains located?
Monuments gallo-romains is located in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
Is Monuments gallo-romains open to visitors?
Monuments gallo-romains is currently closed to visitors.