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No traces of late LaTène activity are known underlying the Roman settlement, but Celtic graves and traces of an earlier sanctuary have been found near the temples in the western part of the town. The latter was probably dedicated to the water deity Aventia, who lent her name to the later settlement, and there was an oppidum located at nearby Bois de Châtel. Aventicum's first buildings date to the first decade AD and, at first. the site served as the capital for the civitas Helvetiorum. Around 70, the Emperor Vespasian promoted it to the rank of a colonia, possibly because it was the home of his father-in-law and, thereafter, it was officially known as Colonia Pia Flavia Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata. The town's development continued unabated from its foundation to the 3rd century. The first buildings were made of unfired clay brick or adobe, but stone was used from 40 AD. The foundation of the colonia led to a building boom, which included city defences, and led to an increase in the height of the road surfaces by up to a meter. The late 1st and the 2nd century saw the construction of several large complexes such as the “Le Cigonier” temples, the theatre and the amphitheatre.
The roads formed an orthogonal street grid, with 42 insulae in an
area of 540 x 500m. The entertainment venues, sanctuaries and artisan’s
quarter lay outside this grid, resulting in a total built up area in excess
of 70 ha. The 5.5 km long city wall, was equipped with five gates and 73 towers.
It was constructed soon after the foundation of the colony in the 70s and enclosed
further, undeveloped land.
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Plan of Aventicum-Avenches |
Main phases of urban development: A: Augustus to Nero
(6/7- 69 AD) B: Flavian Period (60-96), C: 2nd-3rd century AD |
Reconstruction of the city, c.180 AD |
Schematised plan of the east gate |
Reconstruction of the east gate |
| The forum occupied the centre of the town, occupying three blocks (insulae 22, 28 and 34). A sacred area with a central temple lay in the northern half, but it is not known who it was dedicated to. The southern part was used for public functions and contained the basilica. The complex was built around the mid 1st century and fragments of larger than life marble statues date to the first half of the same century. |  |
IClose by (insula 23) stood a public building of uncertain function, with several rooms. It is variously interpreted as a capitolium temple, the assembly room for the city council (curia) or the seat of city corporations. The building dates to the early 2nd century AD and was built on the site of the earlier baths. |  |
Plan of the forum and neighbouring insulae |
Plan of the public building in insula 23 |
| The Forum Baths (Forumsthermen) were relocated in the early Flavian period (c.70) and the original complex (insula 23) was built over. Instead, a new, larger and axially symmetrical building was built on the next insula to the south (insula 29). | |
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Plan of the earlier forum baths in insula 23 |
Plan of the later forum baths in insula 29 |
| A second, larger bath complex existed from the first half of the 1st century AD in the vicinity of the “Grange-du-Dîme“ Temple (insula 19). | |
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Ground plan of the baths in insula 19
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Reconstruction of the baths in insula 19
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In the western part of the town a large zone developed that was dominated by sanctuaries, the theatre and the amphitheatre. Some of the shrines were built over Celtic graves. Near the “Derrière la Tour“ temple, a second, earlier sanctuary has been excavated that dated to the second half of the 1st century, and both were rebuilt in stone after the middle of the century. The "Le Cigonier" temple, the theatre and the amphitheatre developed to the south of these sites at some point after the late 1st century AD.
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The western quarter of the town with temples and entertainment
venues |
Reconstruction of the western quarter, seen from the
south |
The two temples: Derrière-la-Tour and Grange-du-Dîme were large Gallo-Roman temples with perrons. They were built, respectively, in the second half of the 1st and the early 2nd century and an earlier Celtic shrine with enclosure ditch, lay within the area of Derrière-la- Tour. A round temple which stood between the two Gallo-Roman temples, dates to the mid 1st century and the stone enclosure walls were built in the early 2nd.
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Ground plan of the temple of ‘Grange-du-Dîme’
and surrounding area |
Reconstruction of the round temple at the sanctuary
‘Grange-du-Dîme’ |
The ‘Le Cigonier’ temple, by contrast, belongs to the Roman building tradition and lay within a large (106,8 x 76,65m) square enclosure with porticoes on three sides. Oak pilings from the foundations had been felled in 98 AD. The temple imitated the Templum Pacis in Rome and probably served the Imperial cult: possibly in conjunction with Jupiter and local deities. The ‘Le Cigonier’ sanctuary and the theatre formed an axially aligned unit.
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Ground plan of the temple of ‘Le Cigonier’
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Reconstruction of the temple of ‘Le Cigonier’
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| Immediately to the south of the ‘Le Cigonier’ temple, lay an open building within a further walled enclosure, with a covered walk at its side. It may have been a nymphaeum (a sanctuary to the Nymphs) and two Gallo-Roman temples stood just outside the enclosure. | The Theatre's central axis was aligned with the ‘Le Cigonier’ temple. Both were built around 100 AD over earlier structures and the theatre offered seating for an audience of 8-9,000. | The amphitheatre was built at the start of the 2nd century and was altered at the end of the same century or the beginning of the 3rd. In its final phase it offered seating for 8,000 spectators. |
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General plan of the ‘Le Cigonier’ temple
and the theatre |
Ground plan of the theatre with reconstruction (on
the left) |
Ground plan of the amphitheatre in the 3rd century
AD |
On the town's western periphery (west of insula 7), the palatial villa of Derrière-la-Tour was built after the mid 1st century. It contained large internal courtyards, sumptuously decorated rooms with mosaics and had its own bath suite. Its function is unclear. It may have been an administrative centre, or accommodation for visiting dignitaries, unless it served as the residence of an elite family.
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Ground plan of the palatial villa of Derrière
la Tour |
Reconstruction of the palatial villa of Derrière
la Tour |
At first housing was restricted to the quarters along the main road. The buildings were timber-framed and constructed with dried mud brick. After the mid 1st century, stone construction was introduced and previously unused areas were developed.
Two large residential (domus) buildings with internal courtyards and gardens developed on insula 13 after the mid 1st century and the eastern complex occupied over 3000sqm. Similarly well appointed houses have also been found in other locations throughout the town (insula 10, 12, 16) but, apart from such blocks with only a few large structures, most of the insulae contained 8 or more plots.
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Plan of insula 13 |
Reconstruction of insula 13 |
Building periods of insula 16. 1st to mid 3rd century |
Building plots in insula 18, c. mid 1st century |
From 40 AD onwards, the north-eastern quarters of the town (east of insula 13) housed potteries and brickworks. After the construction of the city wall, this area was integrated into the formal street grid and developed for housing, which was rebuilt in stone after the mid 2nd century. The earlier workshops were moved outside the walls.
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General plan of the north-western quarter in the 1st
century AD |
General plan of the north-western quarter in the 2nd
century |
Six aqueducts supplied the town with water. The largest (Bonne Fontaine) brought supplies via a vaulted conduit, from 17km away,.
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Map of the aqueducts supplying Aventicum-Avenches |
Section through the aqueduct |
Harbour
The harbour on Lac Mortain lay 1300m north of the town and was linked to it
by a road. The first quays have provided a dendro-date of 8 BC and a navigable
canal with its own quay terminated in front of the city wall.
Harbour
installations and canal north of the city
Visible remains
A guided walk around Avenches includes several monuments such as the theatre
and amphitheatre.
Aerial photograph
of the theatre
Museum
The finds from the Roman city are on display in the Musée romain in Avenches.
Text: Thomas Schmidts
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With continuous updates on the excavations in Avenches:
Bulletin de l’Association Pro Aventico 1, 1887 ff.