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Origin and history

The aqueduct of Luynes is a former Gallo-Roman bridge-aqueduct located in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. With the Five-Mars pile, it is considered one of the most emblematic Roman monuments in the department, despite its modest dimensions. Ranked a historic monument in 1862, it is one of the best preserved ancient aqueducts in northwestern France. Although mentioned in publications since the seventeenth century, his first complete study dates back to 1966, followed by recent work in the early 2000s which revealed new questions about his chronology and function.

The first airway was a valley of about 500 metres, 270 metres of which are still visible today, consisting of forty-four batteries, nine of which are connected by eight consecutive arches. Its underground route, longer than one kilometre, remains partially hypothetical, although aerial photographic clues and point archaeological discoveries suggest its existence. The final destination of the transported water, as well as the exact sources that fed it, are not formally identified, although the source of the Black Pius is considered one of the main sources.

The construction of the aqueduct seems to have been carried out in several stages, with renovation campaigns and architectural modifications attested by the study of the batteries, grouped into four separate sets. A continuous wall, discovered in 2002 and 2003, could be the vestige of an earlier aqueduct, suggesting at least two successive states for this monument. The materials used, such as limestone moellons and unusually sized terracotta, indicate local production. Aqueduct could have fed ancient buildings on the coast of Luynes, such as the seaside of the Clos de Sainte-Roselle or the Priory of Saint-Venant, although these assumptions are not confirmed.

The remains of the lake, owned by Luynes, show signs of degradation despite recent restorations. Batteries have collapsed or bent, due to shallow foundations in a wet clay soil. Aqueduct has been the subject of numerous studies since the 17th century, notably by Félix Le Royer de La Sauvagere in 1770, Michel Laurencin in 1966, and more recently by Patrick Bordeaux, Jacques Seigne, and Jean-Philippe Chimier in the early 2000s. This research helped to better understand its architecture, its layout, and its role in supplying water to the ancient city of Malliacum.

Malliacum, an ancient city corresponding to the present Luynes, was mentioned in the sixth century by Gregory of Tours. The archaeological site reveals a significant concentration of ancient remains, suggesting the presence of a secondary agglomeration or a vast rural complex. Among these remains, the priory of Saint-Venant and the seaside of the Clos de Sainte-Roselle, dating from the years 150–180, were studied in depth. The pipeline may have fed these buildings, although its underground route and final destination remain uncertain. Local toponyms, such as the Arenes or Villeronde, evoke unconfirmed assumptions about possible ancient circular buildings.

The chronology of the aqueduct remains imprecise in 2015, although it is assumed between the second and fourth centuries. It seems to have worked until the 13th century, with repairs attested as early as 919 during the reign of Charles III the Simple. Recent studies have highlighted architectural differences between batteries, suggesting several phases of construction or repair. Despite these advances, many questions remain about its absolute dating, its exact function, and the buildings it served in ancient Malliacum.

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