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Origin and history

The Grisset Tower is the vestige of the Cella d'A fanum (Gallo-Roman temple) located in Fréteval, Loir-et-Cher. This monument, exceptionally well preserved for a building probably built in the 2nd or 3rd century, is distinguished by its still intact cradle vault and its walls reaching 8.60 m high. It combines local flint rubble and architectural terracotta, typical of Gallo-Roman constructions adapted to the resources available. The cella, of outer dimensions 6.80 × 6.15 m, may have been surrounded by a peripheral gallery and a peribol, suggested by cadastral traces.

Partial excavations carried out in the 1960s revealed an adjacent thermal complex and undetermined structures, evoking either a small secondary agglomeration (conciliabulum) or a pilgrimage center linked to a water sanctuary. Assumptions diverge: Michel Provost (1988) favours a religious site with thermal baths, while Christian Cribellier (1999) sees it as an agglomeration organized around the fanum. The aerial explorations of the 1970s confirmed the presence of other buildings, two of which might have fanned connected by a portico, and a nearby ancient route between Le Mans and Orléans.

The tower was listed as historical monuments in 1948 for its cella, and then the entire archaeological site was protected in 1991. Research, limited by land constraints (levelling the land in 1965) and the absence of exhaustive excavations, leaves many questions open. Among the artifacts discovered, objects originally interpreted as weaving pesons were revalued into elements related to thermal hypocaustes. The site, located in the ancient Civitas des Carnutes, illustrates the adaptation of Roman practices to local contexts, mixing cult, thermalism and perhaps handicrafts (pottery).

The history of the monument's studies began in 1849 with its first published description, followed by scattered observations in the 20th century. However, the 1964-1965 campaigns, which were interrupted prematurely, partially documented the thermal baths. In 1995, a comprehensive architectural survey was carried out as part of a master's degree in preventive archaeology, complementing the available data. Despite these efforts, the absence of recent excavations and the fragmentary state of the remains limit the overall understanding of the site, the exact nature of which (isolated sanctuary or agglomeration) remains under discussion.

Fréteval's fanum is unique in its remarkable state of conservation for northern Gaul, where few Gallo-Roman temples retain their vaults. Its equipment, alternating flint and bricks, reflects a material economy typical of provincial constructions. The cella, illuminated by three rectangular openings, could have integrated colourful geometric patterns, as attested elsewhere (e.g., Cherré temple in Sarthe). Its location, 1 km from the Loir and near the ancient way, reinforces the hypothesis of a central role in a regional network, whether religious, thermal or artisanal.

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