GALLO-ROMAN MUSEUM
& Archaeological site of the villa of Lalonquette
THE ANCIENT VILLA
The site, located in the Gabas valley in the town of Lalonquette, is known under the name of "Arribèra deus Gleisiras" , a toponym of Gascon origin which would mean "the valley of estates belonging to the Church" or " the goods of the valley given to the Church ".
It was reported officially for the first time in the Pyrenees Memorial September 13, 1843. His story makes him one of the witnesses of the dense establishment of large ancient residences in the south of Aquitaine.
A SAFEGUARDED & ENHANCED SITE
The year 2018 marked the end of a vast program of conservation and enhancement of archaeological remains.
At the end of three years of work which will have made it possible to preserve the site and to identify the exact contours of this ancient aristocratic residence, the villa is now revealed to the public thanks to a contemporary reading rich in information.
500 YEARS OF HISTORY REVEALED
OCCUPATION OF THE SITE
The Villa was occupied for more than five centuries, from the beginning of our era to the fifth century AD. J.-C.
The extent of the remains discovered, corresponding essentially to the party residential of the whole ( pars urbana ), testifies to the existence of an important establishment whose total area, according to the latest archaeological work, probably approached 2 hectares.
HISTORY OF EXCAVATIONS
An important extensive excavation was carried out between 1959 and 1972 by Jean LAUFFRAY, Architect of the Buildings of France for the Pyrénées Atlantiques and the Landes.
It was not until 2002 that the research work on the villa was taken over by François RECHIN and Laurent CALLEGARIN for the University of Pau and the Pays de l'Adour, until 2005. It will mainly be a building study campaign.
