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Origin and history

The archaeological site of Villasse in Vaison-la-Romane is a major testimony of Gallo-Roman urban life. It consists of remains dating from the 1st to the 4th century AD, including houses, thermal baths, shops and public spaces. These remains illustrate the evolution of the city of Vasio Vocontiorum, capital of the Voconces, a Romanized Gaulish people. The ancient city spanned 70 to 75 hectares and was among the richest in Narbonnaise Gaul.

The excavations revealed various structures, such as the so-called house of Epheb, organized around an inner courtyard with a geometric mosaic of the first century, or even the baths of the third century. The site is separated into several residential islets, crossed by a wide street of 5.60 meters. These discoveries show continuous occupation, with architectural transformations reflecting the social and economic changes of the time.

The Villasse is also marked by the presence of a small thermal establishment in apse and a larger 1st century complex, partially obscured by later constructions such as the villa in the Dauphin. These remains, now protected and classified as Historic Monument, offer an overview of daily life, thermal practices and Roman urban planning in Provence. The site was transferred to the commune of Vaison-la-Romaine in 2011, ensuring its preservation and enhancement.

The Vaison-la-Romane region, integrated into the territory of the Voconces, was a cultural and economic crossroads under Roman rule. After the conquest (125-118 B.C.), the city became a prosperous urban centre, benefiting from infrastructure such as a theatre, a bridge, an aqueduct and thermal baths. Roman peace favoured its expansion, reaching its climax in the second century. The fall of the Empire and the barbaric invasions of the fifth century marked its decline, although the city remained an important religious center, with a bishopric attested from the fourth century.

Archaeological excavations, initiated at the beginning of the twentieth century, were carried out in part by local patrons, such as Maurice Burrus, who financed the research. The Villasse site, with its houses, shops and thermal baths, illustrates the transition between the Gaulish and Roman periods, as well as the adaptation of local populations to the urban lifestyles imposed by Rome. Today, this heritage is a major asset for cultural tourism in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

The site is complemented by other Gallo-Roman remains nearby, such as the North and South thermal baths, or the famous Roman bridge overhanging the Ouvèze. These elements, combined with the medieval city and the cathedral, make Vaison-la-Romane a unique place where more than two millennia of history overlap, from Ligurians to Romans, then medieval and modern.

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