Carroll, M. (2026). "House on the Place des Halles (La maison des Halles)." Gardens of the Roman Empire, accessed October 2, 2026. https://roman-gardens.github.io/id/c48d798d77/

House on the Place des Halles (La maison des Halles)

Published: 2026-10-01
Last modified: 2026-10-01

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Dates

1987-1988

Garden Description

On the left bank of the Sarthe, where it is joined by the Isaac creek, the Roman town was the successor to a Celtic oppidum. A wall of the late empire enclosed nine hectares.

This domus was on the Place des Halles, the former site of the covered market place. It was excavated in 1987-88 south of the principal street. In a part of the ancient city inhabited since the first century, the house occupied a surface (33 x 54 m) of 1782 square meters. Two-story wings of the house surround on three sides a courtyard [1] that may have been a garden. The residential wing, to the south, of careful construction, had four principal rooms with floors of smooth concrete. The existence of a second court farther south, on the other façade of the residential wing has been supposed, but its nature is unknown.

Plans

A section drawing depicting the two floors of what a restored domus would look like.
Restored section of the entire domus by P. André.
Credit: CAG 72, 181

Bibliography

  • Service Régional de l'Archéologie des Pays de la Loire, La Sarthe, 72, CAG p. 318-319, plan p. 318. (worldcat)

Keywords

Places