Gallo-Roman heritage in the Lot Valley | From Aubrac to the Gorges du Tarn

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Gallo-Roman heritage at Banassac

During the first 2 centuries AD, Banassac produced pottery that has been found all over France and even Europe, as far away as Pompeii and Turkey!Banassac has its own museum , where you can see the treasures discovered during archaeological digs.

Banassac, a major center of the Gabale region

Bell tower of Saint Médard church in Banassac. Banassac is a village bordering La Canourgue. A major center of influence in the Gabale region during the Gallo-Roman era, it became the second most important town in Lozère, after Javols, during the first three centuries AD. Its prosperity was linked to its ceramics and sigillated pottery workshops.

Banassac thus became a major center of Gabale country, and the 2nd largest town in the region after Javols, now home to an archaeological museum. Although the remains of this era in Banassac are less spectacular than the famous Roman Mausoleum at Lanuéjols, there are still many traces of this sumptuous past. Not far from the village center, an aqueduct has been found that appears to have supplied water to three swimming pools, as well as other evidence of Roman baths. Chances are, the village has yet to reveal all its secrets about this period.

Banassac and sigillated pottery

During the first 2 centuries AD,Banassac was a very important center for pottery production. The village specialized in the production of luxury ceramics. The latter, known as ” sigillée “, is red, covered with a thin, lustrous, decorated film. It takes its name from the Latin “sigillum”, meaning seal, as potters signed it with a punch. More than a hundred of them are known. Some of them personalized their ceramics according to where they were to be sent.

It’s no coincidence that these craftsmen chose to settle here. Banassaclies on the banks of theUrugne, a tributary of the Lot, whose water makes it easy to clean molds and purify clay. What’s more, the abundance of wood nearby supplied the large quantity of fuel needed to heat the kilns.

musée poteries céramiques gallo romaines banassac

All about heritage

Gallo-Roman

of the Lot Valley

Where is the museum?
The Banassac archaeological museum is located in the village hall, Place de l’église.
How to get there
A ZPPA (zone de présomption de prescription archéologique) has been created by the DRAC Occitanie (Direction régionale des affaires culturelles) in the Oasis de Banassac business park, a 2-minute drive from the village center.
What are the museum's opening hours?
You can access the museum during Town Hall opening hours:
- Monday to Wednesday: 8h/12h – 14h/18h
- Thursday: 14h/18h
- Friday: 8h/12h – 14h/17h
Closed on weekends and public holidays

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