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Origin and history

The Sanctuary of Mars Mullo, also known as the Fairy Tower, is a religious site dating from the Celtic period until the end of the Gallo-Roman period. Located in Allonnes (Sarthe), it was erected on a hill overlooking the Sarthe River. The hexagonal building, extended by a Roman-style entrance, houses remains of an earlier Gallic sanctuary. A forum surrounds the whole, emphasizing its ritual and cultural importance.

The rediscovery of the site in 1953 was attributed to Pierre Térouanne, alerted by his son Jean-Noël after a storm had taken up a tree, revealing buried walls. Pierre Térouanne, passionate about archaeology, entered the first excavations. In 1993, a CNRS/ENS team resumed research, revealing successive occupations of protohistory in the 4th century AD. Since 1998, CAPRA (Allon Centre for Exploration and Archaeological Research) has been conducting mediation and research activities on the site.

The sanctuary has been classified as a historic monument since 6 November 1961 for its area containing archaeological remains. In 1967, a plaster reconstruction of the temple, 23 meters high, was carried out for the Floralies at the Floral Park of the Source, in a space inspired by the license Asterix called Floralix. This reproduction, directed by Professor René Borius and designed by decorator Jean Calmens, was destroyed after the exhibition.

A local legend tells that a Roman from Alauna, warned in a dream of the death of his daughter Bella by a snake bite, locked in a tower to protect her. Despite this precaution, Bella died caught by a viper hidden in a basket of grapes. His ghost haunted from the ruins, singing ancient Roman songs. This story would have inspired the name Tour aux Fées given to the sanctuary.

The site, now overgrown and unmaintained since 2018, remains a major testimony of Gallo-Roman religious and architectural practices. Nearby, CERAM (Centre d'études et de recherches archeologicales du Maine), named in tribute to Pierre Térouanne, houses a museum space and conducts research to enhance this exceptional heritage.

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