The steep plateau of Saint-Blaise oppidum is accessible only from the south, therefore easy to defend, was inhabited from the Neolithic until the end of the 14th century with a long interruption during the High Roman Empire (from the 1st to the beginning of the 4th century AD). The excavations undertaken by Henri Rolland in 1935 and continued after his death, have brought to light eight archaeological layers.
There are today remains of Hellenistic rampart (2nd century BC), surmounted by the early Christian walls, a Christian necropolis, and foundations of 11th century church. The Chapelle St-Blaise is a 12th century Romanesque building, restored in the 13th century and whose facade was redone in 1608.
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.