The splendour of ancient sites in Lyon, Vienne, Saint-Romain-en-Gal and Alba-la-Romaine proves that the region played an important commercial and artistic role during the Roman period. The Gallic-roman people have left a multitude of architectural and ornamental masterpieces. First port of call should be Alba-La-Romaine in the Ardèche, which is built on a plain covered by vineyards and orchards. 2,000 years’ ago, Alba was the capital of the Helviens, a Gallic tribe allied with Rome. The Gallic theatre, villas and a 250m long monumental sanctuary stand on a site just away from the picturesque medieval village and show just how big Alba must have been at that time.

At Vienne in the Rhône, capital of the Allobroges tribe, the ruins are quite simply amazing. The temple dedicated to Augustus and Livia, the imperial temple, the Roman theatre which can seat 13,000 spectators, the Cybèle archaeological garden with its double arch marking the entrance to the ancient baths – all evidence of the importance of this impressive site. During this period the town of Vienne also stretched over to the opposite bank of the river Rhône, now known as Saint-Romain-en-Gal. Visitors to this archaeological site can see a whole district of a Gallic-roman town, as the dig which began in 1967 soon revealed streets, fountains, urban buildings, monumental baths, ornate houses and craftsmen’s workshops. Only about a third of the villas have been researched, and every year there are remarkable new finds.

Further North is Lyon, then known as Lugdunum and capital of the Gauls, which was founded in 43 BC. For 200 years its was one of the main administrative and political centres of the Roman world. Emperors regularly stayed in the city, indeed were occasionally born there, leaving a legacy of prestigious monuments. The Fourvière hill is something of a beacon in Lyon, and it retains a vibrant memorial of this influential time. With its theatre and forum, and the later addition of an Odeon and several temples, it became Roman whilst the slopes of the Croix-Rousse remained Gallic. There is an excellent display of the foundations and ruins from this period at the Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-romaine, a large building designed by architect Bernard Zehrfuss, which is situated on the Fourvière hill.

Copyright RA Tourisme / S. Maviel

Another museum worth a visit is the Musée Gallo-Romain d’Aoste in the Isère which recounts the life of Aoste as it developed during the first centuries of this millennium, using models, reconstructions and the museum’s fine collections including its glassware which proved that Aoste’s residents were relatively well off. Make sure you visit: the potter’s oven from the Gallic-roman period, one of the best conserved examples in Europe (village centre) and the Romanesque church at Saint-Didier-d’Aoste (3 km away).