The Pyramide of Vienne
N 45° 30.978 E 004° 52.078
31T E 645895 N 5042004
The "pyramide" that stands almost intact to the south of Vienne decorated the centre of a circus wall that was almost 460m. long and was built at the end of the IInd Century AD.
Waymark Code: WM2BC2
Location: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Date Posted: 10/07/2007
Views: 43
It was preceded by a smaller circus built at the end of the Ist Century AD. This building was meant to be for chariot races. But, since there was no amphitheatre or stadium in Vienne, perhaps athletic games, gladiatorial fights, or wild animal hunts were organised.
As a result of excavations carried out in 1853, the accounts of which are exceptionally precise, we know something about the architecture of this circus.
The 8 metre wide stone terraces were built on top of masonry vaults. They could accommodate between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators. The central wall, each end of which was marked by two semicircular stone markers, was 262 m. long. There were a great number of decorative pieces placed in the middle of pools and fountains: a few sculptures, such as the Child with urn, remain.
The 25m. high "pyramide" in the centre was an attempted imitation of an Egyptian obelisk. In fact, the provinces used as their model the "Circus Maximus" in Rome in the centre of which Augustus had had an obelisk taken from the Egyptian temple of Heliopolis erected. Unlike Arles, Vienne had probably been unable to procure such a monument. The circus wall in Vienne was no doubt very close to the one represented in a mosaic in Lyons. We are still unsure of the plan of the starting boxes. They have been reconstructed using the well-known example of the Lepcis Magna in Libya, which dates from the same era. As we can see in the Lyons mosaic, there were perhaps only eight starting boxes instead of the twelve recorded in Rome.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free
Opening days/times:
24 x 7
Condition: Completely intact or reconstructed
Web Site: Not listed
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