Noviodunum, Roman colony archaeological site in Nyon, Switzerland
Noviodunum is the Celtic name of the Roman colony Colonia Iulia Equestris, whose urban centre lies beneath modern Nyon. The wall-less city had an orthogonal grid, a forum with a two-storey basilica later replaced by a new basilica, baths, a macellum, and an amphitheatre discovered in 1996 with an arena of about 50 by 36 metres flanked by two prisons.
Caesar established the colony around 45 BC to settle army veterans and strengthen Roman control in the region between the Jura Mountains and Lake Geneva. The settlement became an important trading hub along Roman trade routes.
The archaeological finds from Noviodunum show how daily Roman life looked in this settlement. Mosaics, pottery, and personal objects give visitors a direct window into the community of that era.
The Roman Museum of Nyon has occupied the excavated basilica of the forum since 1979, so the displays stand inside the ancient building itself. The whole site is a Swiss cultural property of national significance. Most excavated remains were documented and then reburied beneath the modern town, so the museum is the main place to see the finds.
The town was built directly above the Roman remains, so builders constantly encountered ancient structures while developing the modern city. This layering of eras makes Nyon a place where two worlds literally exist on top of each other.
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