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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Roman ruins of Thénac, located in the department of Charente-Maritime in New Aquitaine, date from antiquity, specifically from the Upper Empire. They include various remains: columns, thermal baths, laid stones, and above all a Roman theatre of 90 meters in diameter. These elements were classified as historical monuments by order of 2 May 1912, emphasizing their archaeological and historical importance.

The theatre is located along an ancient Roman road linking Mediolanum (Saints) to Burdigala (Bordeaux), on a cretaceous bench marked by diaclases. This strategic positioning suggests a role in the exchanges and social life of the Roman era, typical of the infrastructures built to facilitate travel and public gatherings.

Archaeological excavations conducted in 1999 revealed major details on the site. They revealed the structure of a medium-sized Roman theatre, including a cellara (gradins) and vomittoria (access passages), as well as traces of an earlier protohistoric ensemble. The latter included a temple and funeral ditches, indicating incineration practices, which attests to an occupation of the site well before the Roman period.

The remains are today the property of the commune of Thénac. Their conservation status and accessibility remain partial, with a geographically approximate location (precision noted as "passible" by sources). The site thus illustrates the superposition of historical layers, from the Iron Age to the climax of Romanization in Gaul.

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