The Roman Remains of South-West France

This illustrated guidebook surveys more than 100 Roman sites across south-west France, from the Loire Valley to the Pyrenees. Covering cities, villas, baths, museums and pottery centres, it combines archaeological insight, maps and plans with practical guidance to explore the region’s rich Roman heritage.

The Roman Remains of South-West France: From the Loire Valley to the Pyrenees introduces over a hundred sites, 61 of them with detailed descriptions and another 45 summarising the major reasons for a visit. The book is lavishly illustrated with photos, maps and plans, which situate places, provide context and offer a visual counterpart to the text. Coverage of individual sites is interspersed with chapters giving in-depth insights on noteworthy features of the region, such as the pipeclay industry and memorial towers.

The drama of the Gallic resistance to the Romans can be experienced at Gergovia, where the Gauls successfully beat off the Roman army and at Martel/Uxellodunum where the last organised resistance was crushed. The region was the production centre for terra sigillata/Samian ware, the glossy red pottery found on virtually every archaeological site in the western provinces, and a kiln used to fire up to 30,000 dishes in one go may be seen at La Graufesenque (Millau). The text reveals how a police fingerprint expert helped prove that children stacked these kilns.

This guide also explores the region’s exceptional museums: Toulouse has magnificent marble bas-reliefs and imperial statuary while Châteaumeillant has outstanding metalwork and engaging descriptive panels. Chassenon has the best preserved Roman baths in northern Europe; Périgeux, has the 24.5m high circular temple cella; Séviac villa at Montréal-du-Gers has more mosaics in situ than anywhere in France. Roman city sites such as Saintes and St-Bertrand-des-Comminges, have extensive treatment of their remains and excellent museums.

LIST OF FIGURES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

THE SITES OF AQUITAINE

ARGENTON-SUR-CREUSE

THE ARVENI CAPITAL

BOURGES

LES CARS

CHÂTEAUMEILLANT

CLERMONT-FERRAND

PUY DE DÔME: TEMPLE OF MERCURY

FEATURE 1: THE PIPECLAY FIGURINE INDUSTRY

DREVANT

GIOUX

JAVOLS

LANUÉJOLS

LEZOUX

LIMOGES

MARGERIDES

MEYMAC

MILLAU/LA GRAUFESENQUE

MOLLES

MONTANS

NÉRIS-LES-BAINS

PIERRE-BUFFIÈRE

RODEZ

TINTIGNAC

OTHER SITES

FEATURE 2: TERRA SIGILLATA (SAMIAN WARE)

THE SITES OF AQUITAINE 2

BARZAN

CAHORS

CHASSENON

CIVAUX

MARTEL

MONTCARET

PÉRIGUEUX

POITIERS

ROM

ST-CYBARDEAUX

ST-MARTIN-LA-PALLOU

SAINTES

SANXAY

VIEUX-POITIERS

OTHER SITES

FEATURE 3: VOTIVE ALTARS AND CINERARY CASKETS

THE SITES OF AQUITAINE 3             

AGEN

AIRE-SUR-L’ADOUR

ANDERNOS-LES-BAINS

AUCH

BORDEAUX

DAX

EAUZE

LALONQUETTE

FEATURE 4: COMMEMORATING THE DEAD – MEMORIAL TOWERS

LECTOURE

LOUPIAC

MARTRES-TOLOSANE

MONTMAURIN

MONTRÉAL-DU-GERS, SÉVIAC VILLA

OLORON-STE-MARIE

PLASSAC

ST-BERTRAND-DE-COMMINGES

ST-GERMAIN-D’ESTEUIL

ST-JEAN-LE-VIEUX

ST-LIZIER-EN-COUCERANS

ST-SEVER

SANGUINET

TOULOUSE

VALENTINE

VILLENEUVE-SUR-LOT

OTHER SITES

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

• By (author) James Bromwich