Site discovery 1967 (≈ 1967)
Searches triggered by a high school site.
1996
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1996 (≈ 1996)
Building designed by Chaix and Morel.
2021
Label Tourism and Handicap
Label Tourism and Handicap 2021 (≈ 2021)
Accessibility recognized by the State.
été 2025
Discovery of a mausoleum
Discovery of a mausoleum été 2025 (≈ 2025)
Circular Mausoleum inspired by Augustus.
janvier 2025
Cancellation of the renovation project
Cancellation of the renovation project janvier 2025 (≈ 2025)
Replaced by an exterior redevelopment.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Philippe Chaix et Jean-Paul Morel - Architects
Museum designers in 1996.
Propriétaire inconnu du mausolée - Roman aristocratic elite
Linked to imperial power around 50 AD.
Origin and history
The Gallo-Roman Museum of Saint-Romain-en-Gal is an archaeological museum located in the Rhône department, above the remains of the ancient Roman city of Vienna. Managed by the departmental services, it presents collections from the excavations of the site, including mosaics, daily objects and models that reconstruct ancient urban life. The building, designed in 1996 by architects Philippe Chaix and Jean-Paul Morel, combines concrete and glass to offer a direct view of the ruins.
The archaeological site was discovered in 1967 during the construction of a high school, revealing a residential and artisanal area occupied by the end of the first century BC. There are domuses with peristyles, warehouses, shops and workshops, testimony to the prosperity of Vienna. In 2025, new excavations revealed a circular Roman mausoleum (circa 50 AD), inspired by the Augustan mausoleum, suggesting the presence of a local elite linked to imperial power.
The museum hosts between 70,000 and 85,000 annual visitors (excluding Covid period). A EUR 60 million renovation project, originally planned between 2027 and 2030, was cancelled in 2025, with a view to refurbishing the exterior spaces and the resumption of excavations. The site has benefited since 2021 from the brand Tourism and Handicap, highlighting its accessibility.
Among the emblematic remains, the thermal baths of the Wrestlers and the House of the Ocean God illustrate the splendor of the Gallo-Roman city. The museum's collections include mosaics, cups of Aco, and reconstructions of the merchant port, providing a complete panorama of daily life and trade in Roman times.
