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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman villa of Saint Ulrich, located in Dolving en Moselle (Great East), is a major archaeological site dating from the 1st to the 4th century. It was first discovered between 1894 and 1897 by the German archaeologist Karl Wichmann when it was annexed to Alsace-Lorraine after the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871). The subsequent excavations, carried out by Marcel Lutz between 1967 and 1983, revealed an estate extending over 200 hectares, including a pars urbana (seigneurial residence) and a pars rustica (agricultural buildings). Ranked a historic monument in 1988, the villa is considered one of the largest of Gauls, with remains of thermal baths, a peristyle, and a fanum dedicated to Apollo and Sirona.

The estate, strategic and prosperous, was located near the Metz-Strasbourg road and the ancient city of Pons Saravi (Sarrebourg). Its peak dates back to the late 1st century, with major extensions to the 2nd century, including peristyle wings and thermal baths. The excavations revealed remarkable objects: sigillated ceramics, frescoes, a horse head in white earth (probably representing Epona), and coins from the Hadrian era. The site, partially destroyed by plunders in the 19th century, also houses a Merovingian necropolis and traces of a medieval religious establishment (IXth century).

The architecture of the villa, of Mediterranean plan, differs from the local models of Gaul of East, suggesting a direct influence of Rome or Greece. The Gaulish elites, like those of the city of the Mediomatrics, quickly adopted this model to display their status. The poorly dated decline of the site may be related to the invasions of the fourth century, although some structures have persisted. Today owned by the Moselle department, the villa, closed since the 2010s, awaits a restoration after the work begun in 2012.

The excavations also revealed a fanum (indigenous sanctuary) built around 115-120 near a miraculous spring, as well as a second agricultural villa 300 metres away. Archaeological material, preserved at the Saarburg Museum, includes fibula, glass fragments and iron tools. Ceramological studies have made it possible to date precisely certain phases, such as the pre-Flavian occupation (the reigns of Claude and Nero). In spite of its importance, the site remains unknown due to unsightly old excavations and the lack of recent development.

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