Gisacum was a
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
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.
Geography
The city is on the Iton river.
Climate
History
In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named ...
) 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 Aulerc ...
["victors under the patronage of the yew".] in northern
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
(now
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
). The site lies within the territory of the ''
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
'' 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