Gallo-Roman theater of Vieux

Gallo-Roman theater of Vieux

The Gallo-Roman theatre of Vieux is an entertainment building located within the archaeological site of Vieux-la-Romaine, ancient Aregenua, situated about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Caen, in the French department of Calvados, Normandy. The site of Vieux has been the subject of organized archaeological excavations since the late 17th century. However, as early as the late 16th century, the famous statue base known as the marble of Thorigny was discovered there. Excavations confirmed that the site was indeed the Roman city of Aregenua, capital of the Viducasses, founded in the 1st century and reached its peak during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. During this period, the city acquired monumental architecture, including an entertainment building, reflecting the adoption of the Roman way of life by the local population. The city declined rapidly, losing its status as an administrative capital at an unknown date prior to the beginning of the 5th century. A process of ruralization gradually erased distinctions between the former city and other settlements in the Caen plain before the end of the Merovingian dynasty. Excavated in the mid-19th century by the Société des antiquaires de Normandie, the structure was rediscovered during excavations in the early 21st century, but these later investigations were superficial and did not significantly improve upon the findings of the 19th century, which remain the basis of current knowledge about the monument. Although not visible today, the remains lie at a very shallow depth, and a mound marks their presence near the visitor parking area of the site museum.

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Angoulême.

Chagar Bazar.

Gallo-Roman theater of Vieux

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