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Founded: 1st century ADCategory: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Roman Gaul (France)
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The ancient site of Sanxay, located in the Vienne department of France, features remains from the 1st and 2nd centuries and was likely a rural healing sanctuary. Centered around an unusual octagonal temple, a Gallo-Roman theater, and a set of baths, the site spans about 20 hectares. Excavated in the 1880s by Father Camille de La Croix, most of the site was later reburied, with only the main temple, theater, and water sanctuary visible today.
The temple’s octagonal cella and Greek-cross portico suggest a connection to sacred water cults. A spring flows beneath its foundations, and its layout includes a large courtyard surrounded by porticoes. A buried channel links the temple to a nearby basin, likely used for drainage or ritual purposes.
The theater sits on a slope above the Vonne River and could seat up to 6,600 spectators. Its semicircular design blends features of both theaters and amphitheaters. Excavations there disrupted the stratigraphy and many inscription fragments found were later lost.
The water sanctuary evolved over eight stages, beginning as a temple and later converted into a bathing complex. While initially lacking standard Roman bath elements, it eventually featured hot pools built into old temple rooms, indicating a shift toward therapeutic use.
Other excavated buildings suggest a thriving community of pilgrims, including residences and inns. Artifacts recovered include coins, ceramics, jewelry, and statues of Mercury and Venus, many of which are preserved at the Sainte-Croix Museum in Poitiers.
Sanxay developed from the late 1st century BCE, reached its peak in the 2nd century CE, and declined afterward, likely due to Christianity’s rise. Today, the site is open to visitors and maintained by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
References:The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.
The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.