Gisacum, Le Vieil-Évreux, France

In the 2nd century AD, the city-sanctuary of Gisacum extended near Saint-Aubin, which was gradually abandoned until disappearing in 5th century. In the 1801 archaeological excavations uncovered this important Gallo-Roman site; but in reality at the time the town covered an area of 250 ha. The interpretation centre has a permanent exhibition tracing the history of Gisacum, and the archaeological garden offers an original development of the thermal baths, which helps to visualise the disappeared monuments, in a pleasant landscape setting.

References:

Normandy Tourism

User Reviews

Xavier Wmz (21 months ago)
Ce lieu nous rappelle l'étonnante proximité des romains et aussi leur rapport plus que contemporain avec l'eau - car la reconstitution assez soignée montre vraiment à quoi cela ressemblait... On peut y visiter des restes de temples et de saunas mixtes à l'époque. Saviez-vous que le site de Gisacum était plus grand qu'une ville moderne ? Les thermes sont donc presque intactes et c'est un endroit paisible par ex pour se délasser après le sport. Par contre si le musée est plutôt complet il faut compter quelques nuisances lors des exhibitions organisées là-bas qui ramènent beaucoup de monde.

martine delvalet (2 years ago)
Très bien dommage que la fermeture du cite devrait se faire plus de subvention pourtant la visite est vraiment superbe pour les enfants

Otome Love Game Grey (2 years ago)
Un site bien restauré très agréable à visiter avec une super équipe

Laetitia Le Gac (2 years ago)
Lieu super beau ! chargé d'histoire ça devait être magnifique avant. ça l'est toujours sauf que le temps à travailler ! Cité avec de belles explications sur chaque points. On peut largement s'imaginer à l'époque ! Le petit bémol c'est juste qu'il faudrait refaire les affiches explicatives car elle commence à vieillir. Bravo

Francois Davico (3 years ago)
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Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

Historic Site of the week

Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

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