Until July 28, the archaeological site of the excavations of Sainte-Marie Cathedral and its cemetery on Castle Hill can be visited.
Unearthed as early as the 19th century, Sainte-Marie Cathedral has undergone a long evolution. Recent excavations have shown the presence of a church from the early days of Christianity (5th century). A choir enclosure was installed in the building during the Carolingian era. In the 11th century, the cathedral was completely rebuilt.
It was expanded by adding two aisles and a chancel with a central apse and smaller apses. A forechoir was installed later, probably for the canons at the beginning of the 12th century.
Finally, the cathedral was rebuilt between the 12th and 15th centuries, with the floor raised and the chancel extended eastward.
This year, south of the cathedral, the excavation has uncovered the canonical complex organized around a cloister and a cemetery, likely dating back to the 11th century. The objective of this excavation campaign is to better understand the funerary practices of this phase of occupation. Indeed, the tile-covered graves unearthed in this area, a typical burial practice of late antiquity, are very rarely observed during the medieval period.
