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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman pile of Saint-Pierre-de-Buzet, also known as the Peyrelongue tower, is a Gallo-Roman stone-type funeral monument. It is located about 1 km north of the village, on a hillside overlooking the left bank of the Garonne. This monument, oriented according to the cardinal points, measures 3.83 m side at its base and reaches 8.10 m height, although its upper part is destroyed. A cul-de-four niche, located 4.50 m from the ground, is on its eastern face.

The precise dating of the pile is not attested, but studies on similar monuments in the Gers suggest a construction under the Flavian dynasty, during the High Roman Empire. Partial excavations, initiated by the parish priest of Saint-Pierre-de-Buzet in the 19th century, were mentioned by Philippe Lauzun in 1898, without their exact results or time being specified.

The pile was listed as historical monuments by order of 7 January 1926. Its architectural apparatus combines a small regular cubic apparatus trim and a core of irregular rubble. The base, anchored directly in the rock, slightly exceeds the dimensions of the tower. The traces of fire observed around a circular opening in the niche suggest ritual practices or events after its construction.

This type of funerary monument, characteristic of southwestern France, bears witness to the rites and Roman architecture in the region. The Peyrelongue pile, although partially degraded, remains a remarkable example of this heritage, linked to funeral traditions and Roman occupation in Aquitaine.

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