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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman citadel of Vesone was built around 284 AD by the inhabitants of Vesunna (present-day Périgueux), after the invasions of the Alamans and Francs that devastated Gaul between 273 and 282. These incursions, favoured by the political instability of the Roman Empire (Aurélien, Tacite, Probus assassinations), pushed the Petrobores to retreat to a 5.5-hectare plateau, reusing destroyed monuments (column drums, capitals) to erect a 950-metre enclosure with 24 towers and 3 doors. The absence of currencies after 273 in the excavations confirms this crisis context.

The enclosure, 5-6 m wide and 9 m high, included the northwest half of the Roman amphitheatre. The Porte de Mars (late 3rd-early 4th century), discovered in 1858 by Arcisse de Caumont, is the best preserved element: two semicircular towers adorned with Tuscan pilasters, of which 9 m remain (including 4 m buried). This door, acquired by the town hall in 2024, symbolizes the Roman architectural adaptation to the barbaric threats, mixing defensive urgency and re-use of prestigious materials.

In the Middle Ages, the ramparts were detailed, as evidenced by the excavations of the Château Barrière (XII-XIII century), where a Romanesque tower with a symbolic vocation was added. The foundations, thick up to 9.40 m, supported successive elevations from the 11th century. The remains, classified as Historical Monuments since 1886 (five separate protections), illustrate the superposition of the epochs: the facade of the National Centre of Prehistory thus rests on the ancient enclosure.

Recent excavations (2005-2011) led by Hervé Gaillard have clarified the structure of the March Gate and confirmed its monumental entry role. The ramparts, built dry and without mortar, bear witness to a defensive emergency after the city bag. Despite this narrowing, the Civitas Petrucoriorum retained its administrative role, still managing its rural territory. Today, the remains (Mars Gate, fragments of Barrière Castle, sections of ramparts) are divided between public, private and state properties.

The Vesone citadel embodies urban resilience to the crises of the Lower Empire: a mixture of fear (invasion), opportunism (reuse of materials) and political adaptation. Its progressive classification (from 1886 to 1942) underlines its importance for understanding the evolution of Gallo-Roman cities in Aquitaine, between ancient decline and medieval reinvention.

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