Sanctuary of Cybèle

One indicated by this term, a whole of constructions of Roman epoch to Lyon, located on the plate of Sarra at the west of the ancient Théâtre of Fourvière of which it is separated by a Roman way and uneven formed by the edge from the plate. Several excavation campaigns were necessary to include/understand its probable destinations calling into question its current denomination.

Excavation campaigns

Excavations of 1925 to 1947

The site is excavated since 1925 by Philippe Fabia and Camille Germain of Montauzan, revealing thick walls. They make the bringing together with the discovery made close to the site at the XVIIIe century of a Autel taurobolic dedicated in year 160 to Cybèle, and interpret the vestiges as being those of a temple of Cybèle.

Pierre Wuilleumier directs new excavations in 1947. It releases from the alcoves located on the level of the Roman way which it dates from the 2nd century, the interpreter as being shops of a building former to the higher substructions. He interprets these last like a temple whose frontage measures 53 meters.

Excavations of 1965 to 1978

Amable Audin takes again the excavations in 1965 and delimits a building which measures more than 86 meters length for 53 meters of width. The town of Lyon acquires the site and the release of the site continues of 1973 to 1978. One discovers with the top a double room of 28 X 11 m, with a bored central wall of five arcades. The coating of the ground and the walls is out of mortar with the Tuileau, coated sealing Roman which makes it possible to interpret this building like a cistern with two tanks. Its important storage capacity estimated at 1500 m3, and its altitude (level of the To erase to 288 m) support the assumption of a water tower finishing the Aqueduc of Gier, only able to reach this altitude. The later discovery below this cistern of a drain of sewer of large gauge, then thermal baths of the street of Farges are indices of the existence of an important water flow in the sector, which consolidate the assumption of final tanks of the aqueduct.

The new materials push Amable Audin to move back the dating at the beginning of the 1st century and he concludes at three stages from successive construction and use: the insula basilicale of the time of the emperor Auguste, the tank of the Aqueduct of Gier, the sanctuary of Cybèle. Amable Audin went back the temple to 160 after J.C., dating deduced from that of the taurobolic furnace bridge and the Aqueduc of Gier towards 120 J.C. These theses prevailed until its death in 1990, but were already questioned in 1988 per André Pelletier:

the occupation of the site goes up in an unexpected way with the Bronze Age.
1st phase: a small island of dwellings of ground and wood and with neat decorations dated from the beginnings of the colony.
2nd phase: either a small island basilical but a palate gone back to 20 before J.C., perhaps the residence of the governor.
the 3rd phase: The dating of the pseudo temple of Cybèle is moved back at the beginning of the 1st century compared with 150 to 160 after J.C, making null and void the old assumption of its destination.

The Bronze Age

Rare objects are contemporary ditches of the Clos Verb incarnated, in particular a Fibule known as of Nauheim and ceramics. Traces of an occupation former to the foundation? Vestiges of the colony of Lucius Munatius Plancus?

First phase: the small island of dwellings

Streets out of rollers and gravels delimit two 36 m broad small islands. The walls of the small island of dwellings makes ground and with post out of wooden, the buildings are covered with tiles. Traces of coating paints in small island I testify to paintings of the 2nd style pompéien.

Second phase: The Court of Clutched

Towards 20 av. J.C, the two small islands are rebuilt, on granite foundations with raw brick rises. A large building of good quality out of raw bricks replaces the dwellings of small island I. the plan symmetrical and axial, its broad dimensions, the distribution of the parts with a Atrium covered and a Péristyle out of U, the rules of construction, the position in corbelling with the top of the theater, evoke its exceptional character and prestigious. The dating under the reign of Auguste and the quality of construction bring to direct its identification in palate of the governor, perhaps the court of Agrippa, son-in-law of Auguste and legate of Gaules. Small island II, also rebuilt, comprises a gantry with colonnade, shops and two dwellings with atrium.

Third phase: The alleged sanctuary of Cybèle.

At the beginning of our era, the preceding buildings are destroyed, and replaced by the alleged sanctuary of Cybèle, whose vestiges are currently visible on the site. They are the foundations of the building whose substructions were levelled and who extended on the plate and being prolonged towards the west thanks to an important supporting which compensates for the western slope and which buries the preceding buildings. This building occupies a closed quadrilateral of an about rectangular wall: 50 m of with dimensions with the west, 52,8 m in the west, 84 m in north and 81,66m in the south. Each formed east coast of a series of parts, surrounding a vast court

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