Timeline

Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman enclosure of Senlis, called castrum, delineated an urban area of more than 6 hectares in the Lower Empire (IIIth-IVth centuries). Its ovoid form and its 26 initial towers, 15 of which are partially preserved, make it a remarkable example of the fortifications of northern Gaul. The courtine, built in opus vittatum (double trimming of square moellons) and filled with caementicium (lime mortier, sand and crushed brick), rests on blocks of large re-used apparatus from destroyed buildings of the Upper Empire. These reuses reflect the urban transformations and the increasing defensive needs at that time.

The towers, hemicircular on the outside and square on the inside, rhythmize the path of the ramparts. Among the protected remains, the Poterne called Fausse-Porte and its surroundings were inscribed in 1930, followed by the entire enclosure in 1999. The construction technique, combining reuse and local materials, illustrates the adaptation of late Roman methods to available resources. The site, now shared between private and communal properties, maintains partial or total elevations of several towers, providing a tangible overview of Gallo-Roman military planning.

The location of the enclosure, centered around Rue de la Treille and Rue de Villevert, reflects its historic role in protecting the urban heart. Although its state of conservation is uneven (location noted 5/10 for its accuracy), the remaining remains allow us to study the evolution of defensive techniques between the third and fourth centuries. The absence of contemporary local written sources makes these architectural remains all the more valuable to understand Senlis' spatial and social organization in late Roman times.

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