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Origin and history

The Gallian Palace, an ancient amphitheatre of Burdigala (Bordeaux), was built in the early second century, according to excavations of 2010-2012, although earlier estimates dated from the third century. Measuring 132 × 111 metres, it was able to accommodate 22,000 spectators thanks to wooden stands supported by a frame based on annular and radiant walls. His abandonment at the end of antiquity, perhaps after an unconfirmed fire, marked the beginning of his re-use as a stone quarry in the Middle Ages.

In the 10th century, the site was known as "the Arenas", before being renamed "Gallian Palace" in 1367, with reference to the Gallian Roman emperor or to a local legend involving Charlemagne. In the seventeenth century, it still retained a quarter of its cellara and axial entrances, but served as a marginal refuge. During the Revolution, he became a dump site and a public quarry, its remains being sold in lots in 1793. A prefectural decree of 1800 stopped the damage, allowing its classification as a historical monument in 1840.

The current remains, limited to a northwest gate and fragments of ring walls, reveal a mixtum opus construction (alternative bricks and stones). The arena, 70 × 47 meters, was served by 64 spans and two monumental gates. Modern excavations (2010-2012) confirmed its elliptical route, still visible in the Bordeaux parcellaire, despite the buildings built on its right-of-way. Today, it remains the only visible ancient vestige of Bordeaux, symbolizing its Gallo-Roman past.

The amphitheatre, far from the center of Burdigala, was served by an ancient way, today materialized by the rue du Palais-Gallien. Its distance, typical of Roman performing buildings, met the need for space for traffic. In the 21st century, restoration and study campaigns (in particular by the Ausonius Institute) allowed a 3D restitution and a better understanding of its construction techniques, such as the absence of inner vaults and the massive use of wood for the stands.

Protected since 1840, the Gallian Palace illustrates the challenges of preserving ancient monuments in urban areas. Its masonries, integrated in courtyards and roofs, remind that its history is as much in its stones as in the evolution of the neighborhood. The preserved arcades and niches, such as those on the Rue du Dr Albert-Barraud, offer a glimpse of its past, while recent excavations have refined its dating and its role in Roman Gaul.

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