viRTUAL VISIT

Model of Lyon

During Antiquity, Lugdunum did not rank as the capital of Gaul. Administratively speaking, it was no more than the capital of the Lyonnais province. It was the largest city in Gaul, however – an economic and religious metropolis. Founded on Fourvière Hill in 43 B.C., Lugdunum had expanded to nearly 750 acres in the second century A.D. On Fourvière Hill stood the Theatre, the Odeon, and the Forum, which was situated at the Hill's highest point, where the Basilica is currently located. The Presqu’île was home to large houses and commercial entities: it was the home of the Kanabe, a name found on inscriptions that referred to merchant companies. On the slopes of Croix-Rousse at a location known as Condate, the Federal Sanctuary of Three Gauls stood next to the amphitheatre, whose remains have been uncovered.  The left bank of the Saône, at the foot of the Hill, was home to artisanal workshops. Necropoles developed around these urban neighborhoods, the largest of which was at Fourvière in the St. Irénée district.

The Federal Sanctuary of Gaul

It is exceptional that the builders of Antiquity left us with a provincial monument. The existence of citations referring to the Federal Sanctuary of Gaul was due to its fame throughout the Roman West. Inaugurated under Augustus in 12 B.C., this altar consecrated to the imperial cult symbolized the Gauls' attachment to Rome and their fidelity to its Emperor. The delegates of the 60 cities of the three imperial Gallic provinces assembled each year at this cult sanctuary, historically situated on the slopes of Croix-Rousse and still being explored. The image of the altar could be found on coins made in Lyon.   

The altar, which was the central element of the sanctuary, is only known through representations found on certain coins minted in Lyon. On this stylized image, we see the front of the altar, framed by two columns supporting the Victories. They are represented holding the palm branch and crown, symbols of the Emperor's military victories.

The Ainay Columns

The Basilica of St. Martin of Ainay was constructed on the Presqu’île of Lyon in the 12th century. It has a central cupola which rested on four imposing stone columns. The diameter of these monolithic drums surpasses 1 meter at the base. They were carved from very hard granite rock from Egypt. According to legend, as Rabelais wrote, these were two columns that once framed the altar of Rome and Augustus. With their capitals surmounted by a statue of Victory, these columns originally would have stood 14 meters high.

The Claudian Tablet

The Claudian Tablet reproduces in bronze a speech given by the emperor Claudius, who was born in Lyon, in the year 48 AD in front of the Roman Senate. The dignitaries of the three imperial Gallic provinces claimed rights equal to those of Roman citizens. Claudius intervened in their favor in front of a Roman aristocracy jealous of their privileges. The Tablet was discovered in 1528 on the Croix-Rousse slopes, which provides strong evidence for this site as the sanctuary's location. It is likely that Claudius' speech in favor of the Gauls was displayed at the gathering place of the Federal Assembly.

High Priest: A Prestigious Function

High Priest of the Altar (sacerdos ad aram) : This prestigious title was the apex of a municipal career and paved the way for high functions within the Empire. These beautiful inscriptions were engraved on the bases of the statues that the representatives of the Three Gauls raised each year in honor of the elected Sacerdos. Imagine these monuments spread out along the esplanade of the Sanctuary.  After many centuries of existence, the Sanctuary must have resembled an open air museum – a true conservatory of the history of the Three Gauls.

Attempt to reconstruct a monument dedicated to the priest of the city of Ségusiaves (present-day Department of the Loire).

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