Vienne is located south of Lyon, on the river Rhone. Before the arrival of the Romans it was a Gallic capital. It was transformed into a Roman colony in 47 BCE (time of Julius Caesar) and became a major urban center. A large excavation fronted by an excellent Museum displays a small part of the city including the remains of streets, warehouses, lavish homes, baths and workshops. Some of the homes on this side of the river were 4000 sq m in size. Lead piping can still be seen in place in the ground. The quality and preservation of the mosaics was excellent. Some the ruins were protected as early as 1840 and some were only discovered in the early 1900s . . . and we only happened to go past and looked for something to see in the town. After the Romans left, the limestone blocks from houses etc were scavenged to be used to make cement - much easier than quarrying!
Scenes from the town
RSS Feed
