Agglomération secondaire du col de Ceyssat

The Roman settlement of the Col de Ceyssat is a modest Roman town situated between 1,000 and 1,150 meters in altitude, at the base of the Puy de Dôme and its sanctuary dedicated to Mercury. The settlement is located in the center of the territory of the Arverni city, in Aquitaine Gaul, about ten kilometers from its capital, Augustonemetum/Clermont-Ferrand. The site of the col itself was occupied as early as the end of the protohistoric period, although the nature of this occupation remains unknown. The foundation of the secondary Roman settlement dates back to the first century AD. The settlement was structured by the Agrippa road between Lugdunum (Lyon) and Mediolanum Santonum (Saintes), covering between ten and fifteen hectares. It comprised four recognized sectors. The roadside station, situated at the col and close to the Agrippa road, represents the central nucleus of the settlement. While regulating the flow of travelers and pilgrims wishing to climb the Puy de Dôme to access the summit sanctuary of Mercury, its function probably was to provide lodging, food, and shops for travelers from all directions. The northern part of the site, which marks the point of departure for the ascent of the sacred mountain, features a cult area where a sanctuary once stood. This has been discerned through surveys and the ceramic study has confirmed its existence. In contrast, the funerary

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).