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Origin and history

The archaeological site of Alésia, located in Alise-Sainte-Reine in Côte-d'Or, is a Gallic oppidum that became famous for the siege of -52 B.C., where Julius Caesar faced Vercingetorix. This conflict marked the end of the independent Celtic resistance and the transition to the Gallo-Roman period. Remnants include fortifications, weapons, and battle coins.

After the Roman conquest, Alesia became a prosperous city with typical monuments such as a theatre, a forum, and shrines dedicated to Celtic and Roman deities, such as Apollo Moritasgus and Ucuetis. The city, populated by about 4,000 inhabitants at its peak, gradually declined from the third century on due to Germanic incursions, before being abandoned in the fifth century.

The site was rediscovered in the 19th century under Napoleon III, which financed excavations revealing Roman defence lines and artifacts. These discoveries confirmed Alise-Sainte-Reine as the site of the siege of Alésia, despite initial debates. In the 20th century, aerial and archaeological excavations, such as those led by Michel Reddé, consolidated this identification.

The sanctuary of Apollo Moritasgus, searched between 2008 and 2018, revealed a major religious complex, including an octagonal fanum, thermal baths, and a hydraulic network. This place, probably an ancient Celtic community space, illustrates the cultural continuity between the Gaulish and Roman periods. The excavations also revealed traces of the Christian worship of Saint Queen as early as the fourth century.

Today, the Alesia Museum, inaugurated in 2012, presents the history of the site since Neolithic. The museum, designed by Bernard Tschumi, houses collections from the excavations, while the statue of Vercingetorix, erected in 1865, dominates the oppidum. The site remains a key place to understand the transition between the Gallic and Roman worlds.

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