The Roman Remains of South-West France
From the Loire Valley to the Pyrenees: A Guidebook
By (author) James Bromwich
Paperback (Published)
(August 2026)
ISBN: 9781805831808
6.85 x 9.69 inches
Price: $45.00
In stock
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
James Bromwich studied history at Oxford followed by a teaching career culminating in 20 years in universities. His interest in archaeology was deepened by a year’s research in Turkey from which he returned to complete an archaeology Diploma, then an MA in Roman Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology (UCL). Noting the absence of guidebooks on France’s rich classical heritage, he devoted himself to filling that gap. The coverage is now complete with this fourth regional guide.
- By (author) James Bromwich
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