Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman and Merovingian site of Escolives-Sainte-Camille, discovered in 1955, extends over 5 hectares in the department of Yonne. It was occupied from the late 1st century BC until the beginning of the 6th century, then reused as a Merovingian necropolis between the 6th and 8th centuries. The excavations, led successively by Raymond Kapps (1955-1983), Daniel Prost (1984-1989) and Pascale Laurent (until 1999), revealed a rich villa organized around a central courtyard, luxurious thermal baths with hypocauste, and vestiges of farming.

The site is located 10 km south of Auxerre, in the former Eduan territory. It was crossed by the Agrippa track, 200 metres from the thermal baths, suggesting a reception function for travellers. The thermal baths, built in the first century and enlarged in the fourth century, included carved decorations (mythological scenes, vintages, plant motifs) and a sophisticated heating system. A nearby source delivered organic objects (shoes, combs) dating from the third-fourth centuries.

The villa, the heart of the estate, included living rooms decorated with frescoes, including a 7-metre mural. In the east, a street lined with artisanal buildings and a wall of enclosure delineated the area of exploitation. Two four-god votive pillars, funeral steles (including one representing a woman in tunic) and altars attest to local religious practices. The Merovingian necropolis, located in the Gallo-Roman ruins, has 350 graves, of which 10% are sarcophagus.

Escolives, cited as Vicus Scoliva or Scolivae vicus between 594 and 692 in the Gestes des Évêques d'Auxerre, was one of the oldest parishes in Yonne. The site, registered as a historical monument in 1992, was transferred to the commune in 2007. Its exact origin and source of sculptures remain unknown to date.

The excavations also revealed traces of previous occupation: burials of Bronze Age, Gallic enclosures, and a possible neolithic camp spotted by aerial photography. The villa, probably linked to the local wine culture (a vintage decor identifies a plant of Caesar), illustrates the romanization of Gallo-Roman Burgundy. The thermal baths, with their private and public spaces, reflect a society that is hierarchical and open to trade.

The decorations of the thermal baths combine Roman influences (Apollon, griffons) and Gaulish (Cernunnos, Sphinge), testifying to cultural syncretism. The cornices, metopes and friezes decorated with acanthe rinsels or mythological scenes highlight the luxury of the site. The preserved organic objects (seeds, leather) offer a rare glimpse of everyday life in the third-fourth centuries.

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