Roman Pyramid

Vienne, France

The Roman Pyramid in Vienne is an emblematic building of the architectural heritage of the city together with the Roman Theatre. It is an unique remain of a Roman circus, where racing took place.

The pyramid was the central building of the Roman 'circus maximus'. The 25 meters high obelisk stood in the center of the sand track. Its location on an axial platform (Spina) was confirmed by excavations in the nineteenth and at beginning of twelfth century.

Copy of 'circus maximus' of Rome, the archaeologists believe that it could accommodate between fifteen thousand to twenty thousand spectators. The pyramid of Vienne was long called 'the needle' by the population. Popular legends are even say that here is the tomb of Pontius Pilate who, after being governor of Judea, died in exile in Vienne.

References:

bontourism.com

Address

Rond-Point de la Pyramide 20-22, Vienne, France

See all sites in Vienne

Details

Founded: 100-200 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Roman Gaul (France)

More Information

www.triphistoric.com
www.vienne-tourisme.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Temple of Augustus and Livia (1,1 km)
Roman Theatre (1,3 km)
Archeological Garden of Cybèle (1,1 km)
Vienne Cathedral (1 km)
St. Peter's Church (0,8 km)
Saint-Romain-en-Gal (1,4 km)
St-André-le-Bas Church (1,3 km)

Hôtel de Ville (28 km)
Lyon Cathedral (27,4 km)
Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (28 km)
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviére (27,6 km)
Historic Site of Lyons (27 km)
Metallic tower of Fourviére (27,7 km)
Temple du Change (27,8 km)
Église Saint-Polycarpe (28,3 km)
Saint-Bonaventure Church (27,5 km)

User Reviews

Cédric B (4 years ago)
Very nice stay in La Pyramide, nice & cleaned room and of course very nice food ! I recommend it !

Damien (4 years ago)
Amazing restaurant & hotel! Worth the stop. Well done to the whole team.

May Burrough (4 years ago)
a real french spectacle - taken on a journey through food. formal service and nouveau riche terrasse making it a very smart establishment with good food

david zorab (4 years ago)
the hotel was delightful. The staff made you feel welcome. the food incredibly good

Chris (4 years ago)
Attentive staff without the fuss. Chefs tasting menu superb as is the pricing. A Hotel & Restaurant I would happily return again and again.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.