Site gallo-romain et mérovingien d'Escolives-Sainte-Camille

This excavated site contains a Roman villa with extensive thermal baths featuring cold pools and heated rooms arranged around a large rectangular courtyard. A corridor system surrounds the courtyard, and a roughly 200-meter street lined with agricultural buildings extends alongside the villa complex.

The site was discovered in 1955 and shows human settlement from the late first century BCE through the eighth century CE. This long period of use spans both Roman and early medieval Merovingian times.

The wall paintings feature mythological scenes and plant motifs that reveal Roman artistic techniques. These decorations show how affluent residents decorated their homes and what themes mattered to them.

Guided tours explain the structures and finds at this protected historical site located about 10 kilometers south of Auxerre. The accessible areas allow visitors to walk through and explore the building remains and layouts on foot.

A Merovingian cemetery on the grounds contains roughly 350 graves, revealing how the region remained settled after Rome's decline. This burial site offers important clues about the early medieval population and their connection to the older Roman location.

Location: Escolives-Sainte-Camille

GPS coordinates: 47.72190,3.60488

Latest update: December 9, 2025 20:23