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 Glanum
site
Two kilometres south of Saint-Rémy, at the foot of the Alpilles hills,
lie the ruins of the ancient town of Glanum.The presence of a spring in the
small valley favoured the settling of a Gallic sanctuary consecrated to the god
Glan as early as the 6th century B.C.The ruins, still visible nowadays, testify
that the place was occupied for 5 centuries. In 1921, excavations were undertaken by J.Formigé and P. de Brun.In 1942,
they were carried on by H. Rolland, until his death in 1970. Today, J claude
Fontan is in charge of supervising the work.
The triomphal arch.
Located on the Domitian Way linking Italy with Spain, it stood as the entrance
to the ancient city, delineating its northern boundaries. Probably contemporary
with the arches erected in Cavaillon and Carpentras, it is considered to be
among the oldest ones in Gallia Narbonensis.Originally, an attic was to top the
edifice, as the present roofing made of flat stones only dates back to the 18th
century.
Each side is decorated with reliefs illustrating the conquest of the Gauls by
Julius Caesar.Between the embedded columns, four groups of captives appear at
the foot of trophies of arms.On the south-west side, a female captive is shown
lying in a state of collapse on a heap of arms, among which the Carnyx - the
traditional Gallic bugle - can be seen.Victory statues of colour bearers are
found at the 4 corners of the arch.The other sculptured parts of the decoration
are outstanding pieces of fine workmanship.
The mausoleum of the Jules.
18 metres high, this composite edifice which, for a long time, gave rise to
various interpretations, is in fact a funeral monument that three brothers of
the Julii family had erected towards 30 B.C.in honour of their father and
grandfather.The bas-reliefs that decorate it are allegories of feats of arms
performed by them in the service of Julius Caesar.
The architectural structure superimposes three distinct elements : a sculptured
base, a double-entry triumphal arch and a Corinthian rotunda housing the
effigies of two figures, the whole being topped by a cone-shaped pyramidion.The
edifice as a whole is a very fine piece of workmanship.The four allegorical
reliefs that decorate the base depict scenes of war and have certain
similarities in outline preciseness to those executed in Gallia
Narbonensis.Cavalry and infantry fighting, fights between amazons, wild boar
hunting are so many opportunities for the artist to express his qualities.
The house of the Antas.
The house owes its name to the corner pilasters that decorate the entrance
bay.With its square plan and its yard lined up with porticos, it is
characteristic of the Hellenistic period and similar to a house found in Delos.
The structure of the house can be reconstructed quite easily.The central part
was taken up by an immense yard around which stood the various rooms.The yard
was surrounded with pillared galleries that protected the occupants from
changeable weather conditions.In the centre of the yard, there was a covered
pool used for recovering rainwater, thus creating a reserve.This house also had
a floor, because excavations have brought to light the steps of a staircase in
the south-west corner.
The hotel de Sade.
The visit of the Hôtel de Sade ( the Sade family's private mansion) is an
essential complement to that of the Glanum excavations. The collections
displayed there include many everyday life items and very fine architectural
details, and notably the acroteria that crowned the Glanum temples and are in an
exceptional state of preservation.
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Alpilles
