Construction chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette 1868 (≈ 1868)
Building built on the mausoleum.
12 septembre 1983
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 12 septembre 1983 (≈ 1983)
Official protection of the ancient mausoleum.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Roman Mausoleum (former) (cad. A 231, 233): classification by decree of 12 September 1983
Origin and history
The Roman Mausoleum of Lodève is an ancient building identified as dating from the Lower Roman Empire. Located in the commune of Lodève (Hérault, Occitanie), it was discovered under a Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Martin, itself replaced by the chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette in 1868. This site illustrates the superposition of the epochs, with a continuous reuse of the place throughout the centuries.
Ranked a historical monument by decree of 12 September 1983, the ancient mausoleum (cadastre A 231, 233) is now owned by the commune. Its exact location, 58 Rue Jacques Prévert, corresponds to a location deemed "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10). The 19th century chapel, built on its foundations, marks the last major transformation of the site.
The available sources (Monumentum, Merimée base) underline its archaeological and historical importance. The mausoleum, although partially masked by later constructions, remains a rare testimony of Roman funerary architecture in Languedoc. Its ranking protects a fragile heritage, linked to local history from antiquity to contemporary times.
