Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Roman ruins of Famars correspond to the ancient city of Fanum Martis, a prosperous Gallo-Roman vicus between the first and fourth centuries, built around a temple dedicated to Mars. At its height in the second century, the agglomeration covered more than 150 hectares, with public baths, a theatre and an old network. Its decline in the Lower Empire coincided with its fortification after the destruction of Bavai, the capital of the Nervens, becoming a castella protected by ramparts, semicircular towers and successive ditches. The site also housed a cemetery in the Lower Empire and the Upper Middle Ages.

The first discoveries date back to the 17th century, but it was the excavations of 1823–25 by Aubert Parent that revealed a palace, sculptures, medals and pottery, now held at the Valenciennes Museum of Fine Arts. Ranked in 1840 (first list of Historic Monuments), the site was once again explored in 2004 and 2012, notably during the development of the Transalley technopole, leading to a further inscription in 2007 for recent remains.

The fourth century castella had a monumental entrance with a pavement overlooking a sewer in large appliances, illustrating late Roman engineering. The thermal baths, among the best preserved, were girded with a courtine lined with exterior masonries, while an aqueduct and a monetary treasure were exhumed in the seventeenth century. These vestiges demonstrate the strategic importance of Famars as the seat of a Belgian prefect second and military base after the abandonment of Bavai.

The re-use of the site in the Middle Ages is attested by the presence of a cemetery, suggesting a continuing occupation despite the decline of the ancient city. Modern excavations have confirmed the superimposition of the eras, with traces of handicrafts (bronze, pottery) and urban infrastructures (sewers, roads). The Valenciennes Museum exhibits some of the artifacts, including bas-reliefs and bronze instruments, providing an overview of Fanum Martis' daily and religious life.

The archaeological history of the site is also marked by shortcomings: while the ramparts and therms are well documented, the internal organisation of the city (habitats, workshops) remains partially unknown. Recent campaigns aim to fill these gaps, especially around the technopole, where new remains were discovered in 2012. The current location, near Roger-Salengro Street, corresponds to the hold of the late castellam, whose ditches are still visible in the landscape.

Finally, the legal protection of the site reflects its heritage importance: classified in 1840 for its Roman ruins, it was extended in 2007 to the remains exhumed during the archaeological diagnoses. Private property, the site remains partially accessible, although its value is limited by its integration into a modern urban and economic space.

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