Ancient World

Castellum of Larçay

The Castellum of Larçay is a Late Roman military fortification from the early period of the Late Roman Empire, located in the commune of Larçay, in the department of Indre-et-Loire (Centre-Val de Loire region), on a hillside overlooking the left bank of the Cher Valley. Built a few kilometers southeast of Caesarodunum (modern Tours), the site probably dates to the second half of the 3rd century, in line with comparable constructions in Gaul. With a surface area of just over 3,000 m2, it appears to have replaced an earlier commemorative monument of the mausoleum type on the same site, reusing some of its elements. The fortification was abandoned at the end of Antiquity. Several aspects remain uncertain, including whether construction was completed, the nature of its occupation, and its precise role within a broader defensive system of the civitas of the Turones. It likely functioned in the surveillance and control of movement along the ancient road between Avaricum (Bourges) and Caesarodunum (Tours), or one of its branches, as well as the river it overlooks. Part of the curtain wall and several towers are still preserved. These remains were listed as historic monuments by decree on 12 June 1926.

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See also

• ▸Bubastis
• ▸Emanuel Goldberg
• ▸Hagia Sophia

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