Arch of Germanicus

Saintes, France

The Arch of Germanicus is an ancient Roman arch in Saintes in France. It was built in 18 or 19 AD by a rich citizen of the town (then known as Mediolanum Santonum), C. Julius Rufus, and dedicated to the emperor Tiberius, his son Drusus Julius Caesar, and his adoptive son Germanicus. It has two bays and was originally sited over the terminus of the Roman road from Lyon to Saintes. On the proposal of Prosper Mérimée in 1843 it was moved fifteen metres during works on quays along the river, and it was restored in 1851.

15.9 metres long and 15 metres high, it is the best preserved Roman remains in the city of Saintes.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 18-19 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Roman Gaul (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Wigan Fan (11 months ago)
Nice place, great markets, fantastic history
Lesley McGee (2 years ago)
Beautiful place
Toni Dolan (2 years ago)
Saints is a wonderful city to visit. Gorgeous shopping and sights. Be aware though the restaurants mainly stop serving lunch around 2.30pm
Javier Fernandez (3 years ago)
Beautiful Roman Arch along the river. It’s a pity there’s not more on-site information on display about it’s history.
Diana Kyeola Majam (4 years ago)
Just sitting in front of the arch lookingbover the river and its vegetation brought me such peace. Trying to replay history and all the events that took place here. Nothing is more real than that.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.