Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain
MonumentHidden Treasure
Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain, located in Cahors (Département 46), is a ancient remains built in Antiquity. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Antiquity
- Location
- Cahors, Département 46, Occitanie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.4454, 1.4408
- Mérimée Reference
- PA46000041
Buried beneath Cahors, the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre at Divona reveals its secrets in a unique archaeological crypt: a Flavian building contemporary with the Nîmes arenas, revealed in 2007.
History
For almost two millennia, one of the most precious testimonies to southern Roman Gaul lay dormant beneath the Allées Fénelon in Cahors. Unearthed in 2007 during a preventive excavation, the amphitheatre of the ancient Divona Cadurcorum is now accessible in a carefully converted archaeological crypt, offering a breathtaking insight into the spectacular life of the city of the Cadurques in the High Empire. What makes this monument truly unique is the combination of a chance discovery and the remarkable conservation of the buried remains. Unlike the amphitheatres of Nîmes or Arles, whose elevations still defy the sky, the Cahors amphitheatre has survived the centuries in the darkness of the subsoil, preserved from medieval reuse and successive destructions. Archaeologists have found elements of masonry, inverts and supporting structures that provide precise information about Flavian construction techniques in Aquitaine. The experience of visiting the crypt is both intimate and striking. Visitors are literally transported back in time, guided by interpretative panels that recreate the original scale of the building and evoke the crowds that flocked here to watch gladiatorial combat and venatio - the wild animal hunts that punctuated Roman public life. The museography helps visitors to understand how this building fit into the ancient urban fabric of Divona. The Cadurcian setting adds to the emotion of the place. Cahors, nestling in a meander of the River Lot, has preserved several layers of its Gallo-Roman past, from the Arch of Diana to the Lyceum thermal baths. The amphitheatre is the missing link that completes the picture of an ambitious ancient town with all the amenities of Roman times. Classified as a Historic Monument in 2019, it stands out as one of the Lot's major archaeological discoveries of recent decades.
Architecture
The Divona amphitheatre belongs to the large family of Gallo-Roman amphitheatres with an elliptical floor plan typical of the Early Roman period. Although only a small portion of the building was excavated in 2007, the remains reveal a monument of significant size, comparable to the medium-sized amphitheatres identified in the city capitals of Gaul-Aquitaine. In particular, archaeologists uncovered masonry elements in opus incertum and regularised small units - mixed techniques common in Flavian public construction in southern Gaul - foundation rafts and structures linked to the underground service galleries, the hypogeums, which allowed gladiators and animals to circulate out of sight of the public. Archaeologists have described the design of the building as "original", which suggests some notable local adaptations: the Cadurcian monument would have taken advantage of the topography of the site to anchor part of its tiers (cavea) in a natural relief, thus reducing the construction costs of the supporting substructures while ensuring a respectable capacity. This approach, which can be found in a number of Gallic amphitheatres of a similar rank, bears witness to pragmatic Roman engineering that was attentive to the local context. The materials used were mainly local Quercy limestone, a white ashlar with a golden sheen found on all the major ancient and medieval sites in the region. The archaeological crypt, designed to protect and showcase the remains, features a horizontal display of the preserved structures, lit to reveal their texture and the care taken in their construction, inviting visitors to appreciate the technical sophistication of Divona's Roman builders.
Related Figures
Vespasien — empereur romain (69-79 apr. J.-C.), dont le règne correspond à l'époque flavienne de construction de l'amphithéâtreAuguste — premier empereur romain, sous lequel s'amorce la romanisation de Divona CadurcorumTibère — successeur d'Auguste, sous lequel la trame urbaine de Divona est vraisemblablement achevéeLes archéologues de l'INRAP — équipe ayant réalisé la fouille préventive décisive de 2007 qui a révélé l'amphithéâtreSaint Didier (Desiderius) — évêque de Cahors au VIIe siècle, figure emblématique de la ville chrétienne qui succède à Divona antique
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain located?
Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain is located in Cahors, Département 46 department, Occitanie region, France.
When was Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain built?
Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain dates back to a period built during Antiquity.
Is Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain open to visitors?
Vestiges de l'amphithéâtre romain is currently closed to visitors.