Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The marine pool of the Gaillarde is a Gallo-Roman vestige located in a natural cove of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, in the department of Var. This monument, classified since 1939, bears witness to the Roman occupation in Provence and the ancient local economy. It consists of three unequal basins, separated by walls, where seawater was regulated by valves to trap fish.

Unlike the pools for direct consumption, this site was dedicated to the manufacture of garum, a fermented fish-based sauce comparable to the nuoc-mâm. A nearby tank was used to store this production. The distance from the pool of the Roman villas (the nearest is 500 meters away) is explained by the smells of nausea released during manufacture.

Accessible by the departmental road RD559 (former RN98), the pool is located in the Issambres district, at the level of the Gaillarde. Its structure, 20 meters long and 5 to 12 meters wide, illustrates a traditional fishing technique typical of the period. The excavations and studies, such as those of Alphonse Donnadieu in 1926-1928, documented its use and importance in local commerce.

Ranked a historical monument by decree of 23 May 1939, the Gaillarde pool is one of the rare preserved examples of this type of installation in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Its current state and approximate location (estimated at 5/10) make it both an archaeological and educational site, although little known to the general public.

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