Bibracte, la capitale des Éduens sur le mont Beuvray

Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray

The Aedui, allies of Rome long before Caesar, had their capital here, on the Beuvray, at eight hundred metres of altitude: a town of five to ten thousand inhabitants, founded at the end of the 2nd century BC, ringed by a rampart of beams, stones and iron spikes, the murus gallicus, which first enclosed two hundred hectares, then one hundred and thirty-five. Here they forged, struck coins and drank Italian wine by the amphora. It was at Bibracte that in 52, after Gergovia, the assembly of the Gaulish peoples confirmed Vercingetorix as leader of the coalition, despite the Aedui who had hoped for the command; it was at Bibracte that Caesar spent the following winter, Alesia taken, and that he wrote, in all likelihood, the Commentaries on the Gallic War. Then Augustus brought the Aedui down into the plain, to Autun, around 15 BC, and the mountain emptied. Bibracte was long sought elsewhere — Autun itself took the name under the Revolution — until a wine merchant of Autun, Jacques-Gabriel Bulliot, excavated there from 1867 to 1895, followed by his nephew Joseph Déchelette. Excavations resumed in 1984; the site, listed, was declared of national interest in 1985, and a museum opened in 1995 at the foot of the mountain. Every summer, teams from all over Europe still dig there; only twelve hectares have been explored.

Wikipédia — Bibracte ↗

Getting there : From Autun by the D 978 then the D 3 to Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray (route to be checked); the museum is at the foot of the mountain, the site at the summit, by a forest road, with shuttles in season (to be checked). The site is freely accessible all year round; the museum is paid, open from March to November, with guided tours of the excavations in summer. Bring good shoes and allow half a day: the excavated remains — ramparts, Porte du Rebout, craftsmen's quarters, large houses, basin — are scattered through the forest, and the view opens out at the summit.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound