Tours Mirandes, Fortified tower and archaeological site in Saint-Martin-la-Pallu, France

The Tours Mirandes are the remains of a Gallo-Roman town in Saint-Martin-la-Pallu, France, where you can find a sanctuary, a forum, an aqueduct, a theatre, and residential areas spread across roughly 160 hectares (about 395 acres). The ruins of a castle known as Bonnivet are also visible on the site.

The site was built and used between the 1st and 3rd centuries, during the Gallo-Roman period. In the medieval era, a castle known as Bonnivet was erected there, leaving the ruins that remain today.

Visiting the site requires booking a guided tour in advance, and this is possible throughout the year. A visitor center is open from July to August, Tuesday through Saturday, and offers additional context for what you see on the grounds.

The Tours Mirandes are one of the sites in the Via Antiqua network, which links Gallo-Roman sites across the region. The network also includes the archaeological site of Sanxay, about 40 km away, and the Roman aqueducts of Saintes, which supplied the city of Mediolanum Santonum.