Museum Tauroentum: A Museum Over a Gallo-Roman Villa
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Classical
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Classical
- Civilizations
- Roman
- Site type
- Museum
History
Museum Tauroentum is a museum in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, France, built over the remains of a Villa Maritima, a rural Gallo-Roman residence dating to the first century AD. Gallo-Roman describes the Roman-period culture and communities of ancient Gaul, a region corresponding broadly to modern France and adjoining areas.
The site was already known during the reign of Louis XIV, king of France from 1643 to 1715. More extensive excavations began in the 1920s under the direction of Antoine Charras, an archaeologist. These investigations brought renewed attention to the remains of the ancient villa.
Tauroentum has been listed as a historic monument in France since 15 January 1926. The museum opened to the public in 1966, preserving and presenting the remains of the first-century villa within a later museum setting.
