Gisacum was a
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...
religious sanctuary near the settlement of
Mediolanum Aulercorum (
Évreux
Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy.
History Antiquity
In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century AD, was named '' Mediolanum Aulercorum'', "the central town ...
) in the territory of the
Eburovices
The Eburovīcēs or Aulercī Eburovīcēs (Gaulish: *''Eburouīcēs/Eburowīcēs'', 'those who vanquish by the yew') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Eure department during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were part of the Aule ...
["victors under the patronage of the ]yew
Yew is a common name given to various species of trees.
It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'':
* European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'')
* Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...
". in northern
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
(now
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
). The site lies within the territory of the ''
commune'' of
Le Vieil-Évreux ("Old Évreux").
In the 1st century AD a vast sanctuary was laid out, about 6 km southeast of Mediolanum Aulercorum, on an all-but-unique plan: monumental public structures isolated at the center were surrounded by a vast empty space, with the urban habitations around a hexagonal periphery, 5.6 km in circumference, enclosing an area of some 2.5 km².
Gisacum has been excavated with increasing care since the early 19th century. The recent campaigns began in 1996.
Notes
References
Conseil départemental de l'Eure: Gisacum
{{coord, 49, 00, 03, N, 1, 13, 48, E, source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title
Roman religious remains in France
History of Normandy
Eburovices