Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Roman ruins of Membery are the remains of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa, discovered by chance in 1838. The site, inscribed in a rectangle of 200 meters by 70 meters, includes a multi-winged building with about 60 rooms. Mosaics, whose stones were extracted locally, were also discovered. The villa, built in the first century, underwent improvements in the second century before being abandoned in the fourth century. It is located at the so-called Bois du Vernois, 600 metres from the Saône and one kilometre from Seveux (formerly Segobodium), near an ancient road linking Besançon (Vesontio) to Langres (Andemantunnum).

Ranked as a historical monument in 1846, these ruins testify to the strategic importance of the region in the Roman era, between ancient city and major commercial axis. Their proximity to the Saône and the Roman Way underlines their potential role in exchanges and local administration. The remains, owned by the municipality of Membery, offer a rare glimpse of Roman domestic architecture in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

Membery's villa is part of a network of Roman sites in the Haute-Saône, illustrating the urbanization and agriculture of the Roman Gaul. Its abandonment in the fourth century coincided with the gradual decline of Roman structures in Gaul, marked by invasions and socio-economic transformations. Mosaics and the size of the complex suggest an easy owner, perhaps linked to the local elite or imperial officials.

The early classification of the ruins in 1846 reflects the 19th century interest in the ancient heritage, in a context of rediscovery of the Gallo-Roman roots of France. Today, the site remains a material testimony of that time, although its accessibility and preservation pose challenges, as evidenced by the location data deemed "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10).

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