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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Roman temple of Château-Bas, also known as "Maison-Bass" is an ancient vestige located in Vernègues, in the Bouches-du-Rhône (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur). It dates from the end of the first century B.C.E. and is located in the east of the village, in the park of the wine estate of Château-Bas, along the road between Vernègues and Cazan. This site illustrates the Roman implantation in the region, with characteristic architectural elements such as a fluted column and a capital pilastre of acanthe.

Ranked among the first French historical monuments in 1840, the temple is part of the initial list of 1,034 protected monuments that year. Its basement walls, later discovered, were classified in 1930. The temple was initially surrounded by a semicircular sacred enclosure, of which remains remain. A particular feature of the site is the partial reuse of its walls by a Romanesque chapel, the chapel Saint-Cézaire, built against the eastern wall of the temple.

The architecture of the temple, though partly in ruins, reveals elements typical of the Roman shrines: a cella (closed space reserved for worship), capitals adorned with acanthe leaves, and a spatial organization centered on the sacred enclosure. The presence of a medieval chapel adjacent to the temple bears witness to the cultural and architectural continuity of the site throughout the centuries, mixing ancient heritage and Christian appropriation.

Historical sources mention archaeological studies conducted since the 19th century, such as the works of Reynaud (1876) and Jules Formigé (1932), which document the site. The temple is referenced in heritage bases such as Merimée and Structurae, and its exact address (5001 Bass House, 13116 Vernègues) is recorded in the archives of the Ministry of Culture. Its state of conservation and current access are not specified in available sources.

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