Alésia today : a titanic epic, a remarkable site, a founding myth of the French nation, a memorial that inspires historians and archaeologists.
Alésia tomorrow : a MuséoParc which should receive over 100,000 visitors every year. |
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Michel Thomas-Penette |
| 27 April 2011 |
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The fruit of an innovative project headed by the General Council of Côte-d’Or with the support of numerous partners, the MuséoParc of Alésia offers a presentation founded on the results of scientific research, its museum collections, contemporary architecture and the technologies of communication. Here the latest discoveries relating to the battle and the lives of the inhabitants of Mount-Auxois through the centuries will be made accessible to the widest possible public.
The Battle of Alesia52 BC : after six years of war against the Gauls, Julius Caesar was faced with a united uprising representing most of the Gallic peoples. After having failed to take the town of Gergovia, he decided to retreat. On its way towards the Province (the South of Gaul) after having recovered its strength between the Loire and the Yonne, the Consul's army was attacked by Vercingetorix, who had counted on the usual superiority of his own cavalry. It was the Romans who were to win that battle.
The Commander in Chief of the Gauls then retreated to the nearby oppidum of Alesia. With him were 80,000 men, according to Caesar. Facing him were ten legions (at least 50,000 men), Roman cavalry and several thousand auxiliaries, notably German mercenaries.
Caesar then immediately undertook to lay siege to Alesia, the fortified stronghold of the Mandubii people. The immense work was to encircle a territory delimited by several hills and a vast plain. Two fortified lines were established between camps, one 15 km long facing inwards towards the oppidum (the countervallation), the other 21 km long facing outwards (the circumvallation). In front of each of these lines, the Roman general had installed a system of wide ditches and elaborate traps.
In addition to possessing tough, experienced and disciplined troops, Caesar was an exceptional master of the art of the siege. Finally, not without a little help from destiny, he managed to push back successive Gallic assaults, both from those under siege and from a massive army come to assist them, and to force Vercingetorix to surrender.
The Gallo-Roman townThe oppidum of the Gauls was progressively replaced by a small Gallo-Roman town which masked or destroyed the majority of the remains of the gallic occupation.
Gallo-Roman Alesia was a flourishing town, thanks notably to the activity of craftsmen specialising in bronze working. Excavations have uncovered the monumental centre, the theatre, sanctuaries and housing areas, all of which can be seen by visitors.
The ruins of the theatre and the monument to Ucuetis in particular reveal the wealth of architectural ornamentation found in ancient Alésia.
Built towards the end of the first century AD, the theatre was able to accommodate about 5,000 spectators. Its semi-circular construction and its stage wall, in this case reduced to a small building, are characteristic of Gallo-Roman theatres. Its terraces were most probably built of wood.
The monument to Ucuestis is the best-preseved building of the ancient town. It was the headquarters of the metalworker’s guild. It is laid out around a courtyard, which is surrounded by one-tory portico galleries. Two large, sperimposed rooms, one of which is below ground, were reserved for worship of the god Ucuetis.
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