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Origin and history

The chapel of the Trinity, located in Callas in the Var, is a building dating back to an ancient mausoleum in the late first century or early second century. The remains still visible show walls in small apparatus and a monolithic door, characteristic of this period. The site was reused in the Middle Ages, from the 11th century, as a Romanesque chapel, with vaults and arches typical of this architectural era. Archeological excavations carried out in 1960 and 1961 revealed ancient objects, including a bronze signaculum, debossed amphoras, a Roman coin with effigy of Herennia Etruscilla (wife of Emperor Dèce, 249-251), and a mirror box with a shadow.

The site delivered traces of a Roman villa and a mausoleum, confirming its importance during antiquity. Discoveries, such as money and ceramics, suggest a continuous occupation between the 1st and 3rd centuries. Father Raymond Boyer and archaeologist Paul-Albert February led the excavations, revealing key elements to understand the transition between the Roman and the Middle Ages. Today, the monument belongs to the Archaeological Center of Var and has been included in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1974.

Architecturally, the chapel retains ancient elements integrated into its medieval structure, such as the walls of the original mausoleum. His plan recalls that of the Roman mausoleums, hence his nickname "Mausoleum of Callas". Medieval modifications, including Romanesque vaults, illustrate the adaptation of the site to Christian religious use. The place, located on the departmental road between Draguignan and Callas, remains a rare testimony of the reuse of a pagan monument in sacred space.

The objects discovered, such as the signaculum of Caius Valerius Hermes (studyed in 2013-2014), offer clues about the Roman occupants of the site. The presence of a mausoleum suggests the burial of an important character, perhaps the owner of the neighbouring villa. The absence of a body in the medieval mausoleum adds a mysterious dimension to its history, as emphasized in recent studies. The site is today a place of interest both archaeological, historical and religious.

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