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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Villa du Gresil, located in the forest of Rouvray in Grand-Couronne, is an archaeological site dating from the Gallo-Roman period. Initially identified as a villa with hypocauste during polls in 1902 by L. De Vesly, this interpretation was questioned in 1971 by Charles Schneider, correspondent of the direction of Antiquities. According to his research, it is rather a fanum, a Gallo-Roman sanctuary, whose square enclosure of 65 meters side would form the peribol.

The excavations of 1902 revealed remains interpreted as those of a Roman villa, including a hypocaust heating system. However, the 1971 rescue work proposed a major reinterpretation of the site, suggesting that it was a place of worship (fanum), typical of Gallo-Roman religious practices. This hypothesis is based on the square structure of the enclosure, characteristic of the peribols surrounding the shrines.

The site was classified as Historical Monument by decree of 9 November 1922, protecting the remains of the villa or the fanum. The exact location, although known (the NFB 139 Park), remains imprecise for the general public, with a map accuracy estimated at 5/10 based on available data. The Insee code of the commune, 76319, confirms its anchoring in Seine-Maritime, in the former Haute-Normandie region, now integrated into Normandy.

Available sources, including Monumentum and internal data, highlight the archaeological importance of the site, although its access and visit are not clearly documented. The administrative address chosen is Grand-Couronne (76530), but the exact GPS coordinates are not specified in the archives consulted.

The history of the site illustrates the evolution of archaeological interpretations in the twentieth century, marked by major re-evaluations such as that of Charles Schneider in 1971. These changes reflect the progress of excavation methods and a better understanding of Gallo-Roman architectural and religious practices in Normandy.

Finally, the villa of the Gresil, whether it was a place of dwelling or of worship, bears witness to the Romanization of Gaul and the implantation of typical structures of the Roman Empire in the region. Its ranking in 1922 underscores its heritage value, despite the continuing uncertainty about its exact function.

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