The Gallo-Roman villa of Séviac
The Gallo-Roman villa of Séviac is an important site in the Armagnac area of the Gers, south-west France.
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Discover the Gallo-Roman villa of Séviac in the Gers
The Gallo-Roman villa of Séviac is an important site in the Armagnac area of the Gers, south-west France. Situated in the village of Montréal-du-Gers, it is one of the finest archaeological sites dating from the Roman Conquest. It was discovered in the 19th century and excavations were carried out regularly until 1996. Archaeologists uncovered a luxury Gallo-Roman villa from late Antiquity built in the second half of the 4th century on top of an older villa. It was located at the heart of a farm and vineyard which may have covered as much as 300 hectares. With a surface area of 6,500m², the villa is nowadays considered to be one of the largest residences of south-western Gaul. Broadly speaking, the villa is divided into two adjacent parts : the pars urbana (where the owner lived and received guests) and the pars rustica (the farm).
Every year, a full and varied programme of cultural events is held to allow adults and children to learn about the site while having fun. This includes guided tours, story walks, educational workshops, a treasure hunt, night-time open air concert, an introduction to archaeological excavation and a torchlit treasure tour. Dive deep into history and come and discover this Roman villa which illustrates the rich ancient past of the region.
The Gallo-Roman villa of Séviac, its thermal baths, vines and cypress trees
This luxury Gallo-Roman villa stands 2km west of Montréal on the top of a hill, surrounded by vines and cypress trees. An enthusiastic guide explains the fabulous Roman history of the site which has exceptional mosaicwork and huge thermal baths. The villa has 625m² of mosaics (in the 5th century there were 1500m²) which adorn the baths, galleries and reception rooms. The site became a listed monument in 1978.
The baths cover an area of 520m². The first baths dating from the 2nd century were modest then refurbished after 350 A.D. with marble surfaces. The bottom of the baths and the rooms were heated. A pool decorated with mosaic can still be seen today.
The ancient capital of ELUSA
The Villa de Séviac is part of ELUSA Capitale Antique, a structure which encompasses 3 Gallo-Roman sites just a few kilometres apart :
- the Musée Archéologique / Le Trésor (treasure) : consisting of more than 28,000 coins, mostly silver, and around fifty pieces of jewellery and precious objects, weighing more than 120 kilos in total.
- Domus de Cieutat and its interpretation centre at Eauze : Excavations uncovered a large nobleman’s house dating from the Gallo-Roman era, whose lay out was inspired by the Roman ‘domus with atrium’.
You can also stroll around the bastide village of Montréal du Gers on the top of a rocky spur. Visit the circular ‘castelnau’ of Fourcès, classed as one of the ""Loveliest Villages in France"". Walk along the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela (GR®654) which crosses the Ténarèze area from Fourcès to Montréal-du-Gers, a distance of 15km.
Take a trip back to the Middle Ages by visiting the fortified village of Larressingle, 10km east of Montréal on the road to Condom.
During your stay, make sure you schedule a farm or vineyard visit ! There are lots of vineyards to choose from in the sector where you can try Côtes de Gascogne wine, Floc and Armagnac and farms where you can taste traditional Gers dishes made from duck.
Top tip from Véronique from Gîtes de France, Gers
« It’s a well-known, important site. I recommend you take the excellent guided tour of more than 600m² of beautifully restored Gallo-Roman mosaics. It’s a unique place. It’s easy to see how the villa was laid out, with an interior garden, rooms, decorated walkways and heating system. The modern covering of an awning on a metallic frame is aesthetically pleasing. It needed to be something functional which allowed the daylight to pass through – a gamble which has paid off !»
How to get there : Take D15 from Montréal du Gers towards Castelnau d’Auzan ,then turn left onto D29 towards Eauze. Follow signs for Villa Gallo-Romaine de Séviac.
Montréal is 15km from Condom and 52km from Auch, capital of Gers, via D930 and D15. It is 56km from Agen, capital of Lot et Garonne, via D931. Nearest airport is Agen La Garenne (56km). Nearest TGV railway station is Agen. Bus service from Agen to Condom."
