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Origin and history

The Roman resort of Rubricaire, located in Sainte-Gemmes-le-Robert (Mayenne), is a major archaeological site of the first century, linked to the period of the Gallo-Roman High Empire. This military post, also known as "Château de Rubricaire", was positioned on the Roman way from Jublains (capital of the Aulerci Diablientes) to Le Mans. It included a fenced camp, spas (balneum), houses and agricultural outbuildings, protecting the track and surrounding settlements. The remains, including two parallel walls and foundations, reveal a fortified enclosure with traces of hypocaustes and hydraulic systems powered by nearby sources.

The excavations, initiated in the eighteenth century by local scholars such as Abbé Angot and the parish priest Margerie, confirmed the Roman origin of the site. In 1903, Abbé Angot exhumed the thermal baths, revealing cold bathrooms, an oven and intact hypocaustes, as well as water ducts in perfect condition. The site was listed as a Historic Monument in 1917 for its camp and balneum. Research has also highlighted surrounding rural villas, edge bricks and Frank artifacts, attesting to continued occupation until the Merovingian and Carolingian era.

From the third century, Rubricaire declined with the fall of the Roman Empire, but the site was reinvested as villa Rupiacus (Rochard) by the bishops of Le Mans from the sixth century. The latter founded a parish and abbey in Évron, transforming the former station into an episcopal estate. The Franks set up farms and habitats, reusing Roman structures. In the 10th century, the parish of Sainte-Gemmes-le-Robert was officially created, marking the definitive transition between Rubricaire (Roman era), Rochard (French era) and the present village.

The Roman way, still visible in segments at the beginning of the 20th century, linked Rubricaire to Jublains and Le Mans. Large from 8 to 9 feet, it was paved with granite and sandstone blocks, with traces of franque repair deviating its original layout. Excavations also revealed artifacts from the 5th to 6th centuries, such as French bricks and millstones, confirming continued occupation. Father Angot played a key role in identifying the site with Robrica, mentioned on the Table de Puisinger (II century), by correcting a medieval transcription error.

The Rubricaire thermal baths, located outside the enclosure, formed a rectangular set of 12.50 m by 6.50 m, with an apse and hypocaustes for hot baths. Powered by nearby sources (the Châtelier), they illustrated Roman know-how in hydraulic engineering. Their exceptional state of conservation has enabled their functioning to be restored. The site, owned by the department of Mayenne, remains a rare testimony of Gallo-Roman military and civil architecture in Pays de la Loire.

Medieval texts, such as the Acts of the Bishops of Mans (IXth century), confirm the episcopal possession of Rupiacus, where Bishop Gontier took refuge in 892 after a ransack by Roger of Maine. Charlemagne and Louis le Pieux also took part in restoring the estate to the Church. These sources underline the strategic importance of the site, which has passed from a Roman post to a free seigneurial centre, before becoming the heart of the present parish.

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