Corseul, the capital of the Curiosolites
Corseul was once the capital of the Curiosolites, one of the four Gallic tribes that inhabited what is now the Côtes-d’Armor department.
The other three tribes were the Lexobii, the Ambiliates, and the Osismii.
In 58 BC, these tribes united to resist the Roman invaders but were ultimately defeated.
Corseul became a thriving Gallo-Roman town, whose numerous remains are now scattered throughout the commune.
Located just 11 kilometres northwest of the historic town of Dinan, Corseul is a small historic town well worth a visit.
Corseul, a thriving Gallo-Roman town
The Romans incorporated Brittany, then known as Armorica, into their Province Lyonnaise (Province of Lyon), and the capital of the Curiosolites took the name Civitas Fanum Martis.
This integration ushered in an era of peace and prosperity, giving rise to a flourishing Gallo-Roman culture that developed over the next two centuries.
The ancient town of Corseul was then a bustling city of over 5,000 inhabitants. It also boasted an impressive road network, with roads reaching 6 to 7 metres in width leading to Dinan, Dinard, Jugon-les-Lacs, and Quintin. The numerous remains of these roads, regularly unearthed, attest to Corseul’s status as the principal city of the region.
Indeed, Corseul then extended over the present-day town and its surrounding countryside, and boasted a wealth of grand monuments and villas. However, like many Roman cities, Corseul began a slow decline after the fall of the Roman Empire at the end of the 5th century. Today, this charming and vibrant town has about 2,000 inhabitants.
Sanctuaire du Haut Bécherel – Temple of Mars
The Temple of Mars, also known as the Sanctuaire du Haut Bécherel (Sanctuary), is a remarkable remnant of ancient Corseul.
Located atop a prominent hill about 1.7 kilometres from the town centre, on the road to Dinan and Dinard, this temple held considerable importance in the region. It was built by the renowned Roman architect Vitruvius at the end of the 1st century AD.
A place of worship and pilgrimage, it indeed served as a central gathering point for the ancient Britons, testifying to the influence and prestige of the Curiosolites in the Gallo-Roman world.
Its impressive dimensions made it the largest known Gallo-Roman temple in France!
Today, only the foundations and walls of the temple remain, but they still provide a good indication of its former appearance. Excavations have revealed that the temple was likely destroyed by fire, probably during the barbarian invasions of the late 3rd century AD.
They have also showed that a staircase led to two entrance pavilions that once opened onto the 5,000-square-metre sacred esplanade.
The layout of the sanctuary was meticulously designed: porticoes defined its perimeter on three sides, while a massive wall connected the entrance pavilions to the east.
Semi-circular pavilions, called exedrae, adorned the side porticoes, providing shelter and stone benches where weary pilgrims could rest. The cella, or temple, flanked by its vestibule, the pronaos, and framed by two altars, stood at the heart of the sanctuary.
Access to the sanctuary was reserved for priests and dignitaries. Today, a 10.60-meter-high section of the original 22-meter tower remains. This vestige is also the tallest known Roman masonry wall in Brittany.
Monterfil District – Jardin des Antiques and Column of Jupiter
Ancient travellers from Rennes and Saint-Malo passed near the Temple of Mars and continued their journey to the town centre through the Monterfil district, the bustling commercial heart of Corseul.
Monterfil was meticulously planned according to a traditional Roman grid pattern, with two main perpendicular roads intersecting the wide main street, thus creating distinct blocks, or insulae. From the 1st century BC until the end of the 3rd century AD, Monterfil was a prosperous and thriving commercial centre.
However, it was burned down during the barbarian invasions, and its ruins have been transformed into the elegant public garden, the Jardin des Antiques (Garden of Antiquities).
As you stroll through its vestiges, try to picture a bustling commercial district, where goods from local farms, the Breton provinces, and even distant lands were unloaded, stored, and traded. The main street was a hub of activity, lined with a large warehouse and numerous shops and workshops. Opposite these commercial establishments stood the basilica, a meeting place for merchants and artisans. The remains of the Tuscan-style colonnades that once supported the porticoes are still visible today.
Although all the buildings have long since disappeared, leaving behind only their foundations, a few staircases and courtyards, as well as the remains of wells and hypocausts, numerous artefacts were unearthed during various excavations.
Among these are pottery, tools, and a significant coin collection. The excavations also uncovered, about a hundred metres from the town centre, the vestiges of a wealthy merchant’s villa, known as the Domus du Champ Mulon. Built in the 1st century AD, this villa was later enlarged to include baths on its west wing, highlighting the prosperity and refinement of its inhabitants.
Musée Suzanne Guidon
The Musée Suzanne Guidon (Museum), on the second floor of the town hall, offers a glimpse into Corseul’s archaeological heritage through a comprehensive collection of objects unearthed during excavations.
The town hall gardens have been transformed into an open-air lapidary museum, where numerous column fragments and finely sculpted stone blocks mingle with lush flowerbeds and lawns.
Among these treasures stands the majestic Colonne du Jardin des Antiques (Column of the Garden of Antiquities), a granite column adorned with exquisite carvings.
It is also known as the Colonne de Jupiter (Column of Jupiter), as this monumental structure was once topped with a statue of the king of the gods.
Tomb stone of Silicia
Over time, the memory of ancient Corseul faded, taking with it its ruined districts and Gallo-Roman necropolis. Unfortunately, the latter eventually became a quarry where tombstones were reused as building materials.
The parish church, built in 1836, was indeed constructed with recycled stones from ancient monuments. At the time, the historical value of these remains was often overlooked, and they were considered merely a practical source of pre-cut stone!
Among these reused blocks is the funerary tomb stone of Silicia Namgidde, a Carthaginian woman who died at the age of 65 while visiting her son stationed in Corseul. Her tomb stone, engraved with her epitaph, was reused as the base of a church pillar. It has since been listed as a historical monument.
Excavations in the region continue. In the coming years, new monuments and artefacts will undoubtedly resurface, shedding more light on the ancient history of Corseul.
Department of Côtes d’Armor
Coordinates:
Corseul Monterfil: Lat 48.481134 – Long -2.166620
Mars Temple: Lat 48.471938 – Long -2.146156
Follow the D794 towards La Bezardais – The site is about 500m from Corseul to your right after a farm track
