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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Old Rome corresponds to the ancient Gallo-Roman city of Aregenua, capital of the Viducas, a people of Lyon Gaul. Founded in the 1st century AD, it flourished under the Roman Empire, especially in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, as evidenced by its public monuments: theatre, thermal baths, aqueduct and a Mediterranean domus decorated with mosaics and frescoes. Its Gallic name, meaning "over the mouth", refers to its position near the confluence of the Guigne and the Orne. The city enjoyed a privileged tax status, and its magistrates were Roman citizens, as evidenced by the marble of Thorigny (II-III century), a pedestal of statue discovered on the spot.

The decline of Aregenua began at the end of the third century, marked by the barbaric invasions, although the city was not surrounded by ramparts. Unlike other Gallic capitals, it did not become an episcopal seat or a major medieval city. However, excavations reveal a persistent occupation in the Lower Empire (IVth-Vth centuries), with residential restorations and continued trade, before a gradual abandonment in the High Middle Ages. The inhabitants used the ruins as a quarry to build the neighbouring hamlet of Saint-Martin, reducing Aregenua to a simple vicus.

The excavations, initiated in 1697 (even before Pompeii), allowed the town to be rebuilt thanks to the absence of modern urban superimposition. The site reveals an ancient network linked to the Table de Puisinger, including the Chemin Haussé (later called "Chemin du Duc Guillaume"), as well as an artisanal neighborhood (bronziers, glassmakers). Major discoveries include a pagan sanctuary under the Church of Our Lady, suggesting a cultural continuity, and a civil basilica under excavation. The archaeological museum (opened in 2002) exhibits these remains, while the restored house with a large peristyle is accessible to the public.

Aregenua is distinguished by its hybrid architecture, combining Gallic traditions and Roman influences, as evidenced by the domus with peristyle, typical of the Mediterranean basin. The thermal baths, founded by the notable Solemninus and Titus Sennius Sollemnis between 220 and 238, illustrate the integration of local elites into the Empire. The site, classified and listed as Historical Monuments (1980-1988), is the subject of continuous excavations, notably on the forum and public buildings of the Field of Crest, identified by geophysical prospecting. Its abandonment to the benefit of Bayeux (Augustodurum), protected by a castrum, marks a turning point in the urban history of ancient Normandy.

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