Villa du Gleyzia d'Augreilh, Roman villa in Saint-Sever, France
Villa du Gleyzia d'Augreilh is a sprawling Roman country estate in the Adour valley with thermal baths and double peristyle courtyards. The buildings span several hectares and display the typical layout of a wealthy Roman residence combined with agricultural functions.
The estate was constructed between 350 and 380 CE during the Late Roman period in the Adour region. Following the Germanic invasions that disrupted Roman life, the site was transformed into a Christian religious center.
The villa's floor mosaics, in the mid-4th-century Aquitanian style, carry plant, animal and geometric motifs in bright colours. They were lifted during the 1870 excavations and are kept in private houses, notably the home of Doctor Sentex and the Château d'Amou. Marbles, painted plaster, ceramics, glassware, jewellery and coins from the site are displayed at the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Cap de Gascogne.
The archaeological site sits on private property in the Augreilh district and can be viewed from outside year-round. Interior access is not permitted, but the outer structures and ruins remain visible from the surrounding area.
Archaeological findings reveal that the Roman villa later became a Christian center where the church of Saint-Pe de Mazeres was established with an attached cemetery. This layer of religious transformation shows how pagan sites adapted during early medieval times.
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