The Gallo-Roman site of Sanxay
Monument
From the 1st to the 4th century, Sanxay was a famous place protected by two divinities and where people flocked for pilgrimages and to take the waters. The ruins of the tiers of the theater that stood on the hillside of the green Vonne valley are still to be seen on the right river bank. It it said that they could welcome an audience of up to 8,000 people. On the left bank stand the impressive remains of the hot baths building. The massive construction (110 by 60 meters) was built in the 2nd century and transformed in the 3rd and 4th centuries. To the west of these vestiges you will find the ruins of a temple of uncommon plan and dimensions. The octagonal cella with a diameter of 9 meters is surrounded by a Greek cross-shaped ambulatory. The place must have been a place of public worship dedicated to a Gallic divinity where the Romans decided to build the temple with the intention of gaining the local populations’ favour.
Lodging
See the listing of the Hotels in Niort
Practical information
The Gallo-Roman site of Sanxay
Route de Ménigoutte
86600 Lusignan
Going there
From Poitiers or Niort: motorway A 10, exit n° 31, main road N 11 towards Lusignan, then secondary road D 5 towards Sanxay
On the Poitiers/Bordeaux road
44 km northeast of Niort
Opening / Closing
Open
from May 15 to September 15 : 9:30-12:30 and 2:00pm-6:30pm
from September 16 to Mai 14 except on saturday : 10:00-12:30 and 2:00pm-5:30pm
Closed
on January 1, May 1, November 1, November 11 and December 25
Leave a Reply