Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Gallo-Roman fortifications of Clermont-Ferrand, located on Rue Boirot, date from the Lower Roman Empire at the end of the third century. Built to protect the city from barbaric invasions, they formed a 3-hectare enclosure, with a wall 11 metres high and 2.50 metres wide at the base. This bulwark, in addition to its defensive role, served as support for the Clermont hill. The excavations of 2013 revealed these remains, characterized by an arkose trimming and irregular elevating moellons.

The site was listed as historic monuments on March 18, 2016. A restoration project, carried out in partnership with the Ophis State Housing Office, aims to preserve these remains, create a scenography and install information desks. This project highlights the strategic and architectural importance of the compound in the urban history of Clermont-Ferrand.

Archaeological sources, such as the works of Hélène Dartevelle and Pierre-François Fournier, confirm the importance of this forum in the context of the urban fortifications of the Lower Empire in Gaul. The monument illustrates the defensive adaptations of Gallo-Roman cities to external threats, while playing a structural role in the urban landscape.

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