Oppidum of Alès

En un regard

Le château en bref

The oppidum of Alès occupies the summit of the Ermitage hill (Saint-Julien-des-Causses), in Alès. This Gaulish enclosure, roughly 900 metres in perimeter, forms an irregular, convex polygon that follows the contours of the terrain. It was protected by a rampart of very large limestone blocks, a substantial section of which, particularly to the north, remains visible. Situated on the frontier between independent Gaul and the Roman province, it is thought to have served as a refuge with a commercial function in the 1st century BC. Excavations have yielded Gaulish coins, iron and bronze objects, potsherds and fragments of wine amphorae, as well as remains of dwellings and burials. A mosaic of about 35 m² dating from the time of Caesar was uncovered there. The finds are held at the Musée du Colombier. The portion of the oppidum is listed as a Monument historique by order of 27 October 1980. It is privately owned, and the Mérimée notice places its main phase of construction in Antiquity and the High Empire.