AUXERRE, FRANCE—During excavation of a gravel pit on the shores of the Yonne River in 1966, workers uncovered the foundations of a Roman villa just south of the Roman town of Autessiodurum (present-day Auxerre). The 7,500-square-foot structure contained around 10 rooms and was inhabited from the first through fourth century a.d. This discovery would prove to just be the tip of the iceberg, however. According to La Brüjula Verde, renewed archaeological work conducted at the site six decades later by the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) has revealed a sprawling 43,000-square-foot estate that is among the largest villas ever recorded in Roman Gaul. At its center was a large ornamental garden featuring a pool and a fountain. This was surrounded by porticoed walkways that connected the mansion’s main rooms. The property also boasted its own bath complex. French authorities believe the estate was not a simple country villa, but a massive agricultural complex owned and managed by a family belonging to the political and social elite of Autessiodurum. To read about excavations of another Roman site in France, go to "Gaul's University Town."
