Progress at the chantier in front of the Palais de Justice has been made over the summer with vestiges of walls, old stairs and caves being uncovered. They were all part of the complex of the ancient palace, a Roman tower and nearby dwellings.
There are two chances to find out more.
There is an Espace d’Information in the College des Precheurs, up past the Madeleine church on the right. Look for this sign. Open Mondays 9-12, and Wed/Friday 14- 16:00.
And there are tours being given by the archaeologists, as part of the Journées du Patrimoine. They will take place on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th at: 10, 11:00 then 14, 15, and 16:00. Duration: c 45mins. Departure point: Place Verdun.
I do hope that at least some of this ancient history is left for future generations to enjoy, as part of the final pedestrianized square. Couldn’t it be showcased with some lighting and toughened glass? Something similar has been done in Arles’ Musée Réattu.

Showing the old stairs to the cave in the Musée Reattu in Arles
Back tomorrow with more on the Journées du Patrimoine….
Leave a Reply