Site gallo-romain de Monterfil
MonumentHidden Treasure
Site gallo-romain de Monterfil, located in Corseul (Département 22), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Corseul, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4814, -2.1663
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00135251
Beneath the streets of Corseul lies Fanum Martis, the Gallo-Roman capital of the Coriosolites. Over four centuries, this exceptional archaeological site reveals the secrets of an ancient town buried in the heart of Brittany.
History
In the heart of the Breton village of Corseul, in the Côtes-d'Armor region, the ground hides one of the most remarkable Gallo-Roman cities in north-west Gaul. Known in ancient times as Fanum Martis - the sanctuary of Mars - this town was the capital of the Coriosolites, a Gallic people whose territory extended across what is now northern Brittany. The Monterfil site, listed as a Historic Monument since 1995, is one of the best-preserved sectors of the city and one of the richest in archaeological information. What fundamentally distinguishes Corseul from other ancient sites is the continuity of human occupation: the modern town literally rests on the foundations of the Roman town, preserving an exceptional stratigraphy despite the centuries. Where other Gallo-Roman cities are deserted and visible in the open air, Monterfil invites you to take a mental journey, an imaginary reconstruction of the ancient urban fabric hidden beneath today's cobblestones. Excavations carried out on plots 79 and 80 - acquired by the municipality to create a valuable archaeological reserve - have uncovered buildings used for craft and commercial purposes, sections of Roman roadway and numerous remains of daily life from the early 1st century to the late 4th century AD. This time span of almost four hundred years bears witness to the vitality and permanence of a prosperous town, a commercial and administrative crossroads on the Armorican peninsula. A visit to the site is an ideal part of a wider tour of Corseul, which boasts the famous Temple of Mars, the only Gallo-Roman monument still visible in elevation in the region. The Monterfil site, on the other hand, is more of an archaeological treasure trove: it will appeal to enlightened enthusiasts, those with a passion for antiquity and the curious who know how to read the area beyond appearances. It's a discreet, almost secret place, but one with a rare historical density.
Architecture
The Monterfil site illustrates the characteristics of Gallo-Roman commercial and craft architecture in north-west Gaul during the Early Roman period. The remains uncovered consist of mixed masonry structures, combining local granite - a hard stone abundant in Armorican Brittany - with lime mortar and terracotta bricks. The opus incertum walls, made of irregular fragments of stone bonded with mortar, alternate with courses of bricks that acted both as wall ties and to regularise the structure, using a Roman technique that is well documented throughout the Roman West. The roads uncovered have the characteristic curved profile of Roman pavements, with careful stonework to ensure rainwater drainage. The buildings identified have simple rectangular layouts, organised in street-facing facades, in line with the model of the Roman taberna - commercial premises opening directly onto the public thoroughfare, found in Pompeii as in all the cities of the Roman world. The floor levels, made of pink tile mortar or rammed earth, and the traces of domestic hearths reveal a dense and continuous occupation, typical of an active pericentral district. Although the site does not offer any spectacular elevated remains - the burial beneath the present-day town does not allow this - the quality and density of the stratigraphic data make it a first-rate archaeological laboratory for understanding the urban morphology of Fanum Martis.
Related Figures
Jules César — mentionne les Coriosolites dans ses Commentaires sur la Guerre des Gaules, contribuant à la première description de ce peuple armoricainLes Coriosolites — peuple gaulois dont Fanum Martis était la capitale, artisans et commerçants dont les ateliers ont été mis au jour à MonterfilAuguste — sous son principat s'amorce la romanisation de l'Armorique et la fondation des chefs-lieux de civitas, dont Fanum MartisThéodose Ier — sous son règne, à la fin du IVe siècle, s'achève la période d'occupation documentée sur le site de MonterfilArthur de la Borderie — historien breton du XIXe siècle, pionnier des études sur l'Armorique romaine et la cité des Coriosolites
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Site gallo-romain de Monterfil located?
Site gallo-romain de Monterfil is located in Corseul, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Site gallo-romain de Monterfil open to visitors?
Site gallo-romain de Monterfil is currently closed to visitors.