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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The "Mars" temple is a Gallo-Roman shrine located in Corsicaul, in the Côtes-d'Armor. Built around the middle of the 1st century AD, it extends over more than one hectare, with an octagonal cella and a courtyard surrounded by a gallery. Its dimensions (90 m by 80) and its height of 22.5 m make it the highest Roman ruin in western France. Although his attribution to the cult of Mars was not based on any decisive element, it was used until the end of the third century, before being burned after 270, probably because of barbaric invasions or local revolts (Bagaud).

The Haut-Bécherel farm, built in the 16th century at the northwest corner of the site, builds on the foundations of the southern gallery of the sanctuary. Its walls, made of granite and shale bellows, incorporate employment stones from the Roman ruins. Until the 20th century, it had five buildings, now destroyed, reflecting the evolution of agricultural spaces. The house, barn and attic were assembled under one roof, with architectural modifications in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The site was searched in the 19th century, notably by Émile Fornier in 1869, whose plan was confirmed by recent prospecting. Ranked a historic monument in 1840 for the temple and in 1997 for the Gallo-Roman ensemble, it benefited from rehabilitations in 2006. A 3D reconstitution made in 2016 allows to visualize its original state. The sanctuary, a poliad of the civitas of the Coriosolites, illustrates the cultural and political importance of Corsicaul in the Roman Gaul.

Archaeological remains, including buried elements and the 16th century farm, are now protected. The site, owned by the municipality, offers an exceptional testimony of the transition between antiquity and modern times, with reuse of Roman materials in medieval and modern buildings. The destructions of the third century, linked to the crises of the Roman Empire, mark a turning point in its history.

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