Unavoidable

Gallo-Roman City

Instant Decompression

One of the largest cities in Roman Gaul

Originally, the entire city was founded by the Romans as “Augustodunum”, sister and emulator of Rome at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Augustus. It then became the Gallo-Roman capital of the Aedui, replacing Bibracte.

Getting there

We start with

The Ramparts of Autun

When Augustodunum was founded in the 1st century B.C., the city was endowed with a 6 km long rampart with 4 gates, two of which remain today. The best preserved part is located on boulevard Mac-Mahon.

The must-have

The ancient theater of Autun

Built around 70 AD and located east of the ancient city, it was intended for dramatic performances. With its 148m diameter, it appears as the largest in the Roman world, able to accommodate 20,000 spectators. The theater was built in the classical style, with terraces arranged in three semicircular rows, cut by staircases, on the natural slope of the land. An imposing wall closed the theater behind the stage, supposedly 30m high.

Pierre De Couhard ©celine Bacconnet (5) Compressed

At the exit of Autun

The temple known as "of Janus".

At the exit of Autun, this mysterious temple, built probably during the reign of Augustus, is a typically Gallo-Roman building, built on the model of the Gallic wooden temples, but with purely Roman techniques and materials. No one, not even scientists, knew the exact function of this temple or the deity that was celebrated there.

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