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Origin and history

The Roman enclosure of Vienna is an ancient Gallo-Roman fortification built in the Upper Empire, under the permission of Emperor Augustus and mainly under the reign of Tiberius. Destined to assert the power of the city, it extended over 7.25 km, making it one of the longest of Gaul, ensnaring a space of 250 hectares. It followed the route of the five hills on the left bank of the Rhone, without including the southern or right bank districts.

The enclosure, 2.5 to 4 metres wide and at least 8 metres high, was pierced by six doors and reinforced by 58 towers, mainly located in the valleys controlling access roads. It protected both urbanized and unbuilt areas, such as gardens and shrines. Part of this structure was reused until the end of the 17th century, notably with the current rue Boson, which takes over the north-south axis closed by the door of Avignon.

The construction of this rampart bears witness to the strategic importance of Vienna in the eyes of Rome, benefiting from symbolic imperial evergesia. Unlike other ancient cities, almost half of Vienna's urban fabric grew extramural. The enclosure consisted of circular towers, sometimes tangent, sometimes slightly plunged into the courtine, while its monumental doors have now disappeared.

A section of the enclosure, located at numbers 5-19 of the Cours Brilliers, was classified as historical monuments by order of 1 March 1994. This part now belongs to a private company. The site remains a major testimony of Gallo-Roman urban planning and military architecture in Gaul.

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