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Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Castan Square Archaeological Site

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Places to see

France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Castan Square Archaeological Site

Highlight • Historical Site

Castan Square Archaeological Site

Name: Castan Square Archaeological Site
Rating: 2

Recommended by 17 hikers

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Location: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

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Best Hikes to Castan Square Archaeological Site

4.6

(18)

196

hikers

1. Vauban Citadel – Rivotte Gate loop from Besançon-Viotte

13.8km

03:48

210m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

5.0

(5)

hikers

2. Saint-Maurice Church – Battant Bridge loop from Battant

5.29km

01:23

30m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(2)

hikers

3. Rivotte Gate – Fort de Chaudanne loop from Besançon-Mouillère

20.4km

06:42

840m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Hard

Tips

Scout Jens

June 6, 2024

It is a large, unidentified semi-circular ensemble which probably dates from the 2nd or 3rd century, at the time of the ancient Gallo-Roman city of Vesontio. This square is located not far from the Black Gate, an important witness to this period of the city.

On the site of this square, until the Revolution, stood the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church next to which was the city's first baptistery founded in the 4th century. It was the tribune Onnasius who attributed to Lin, bishop of Besançon in the 3rd century, a house on rue du Chapter, which was transformed into a baptistery (the waters of the Arcier basin, located nearby, were used to practice baptisms by immersion ). The Saint Lin baptistery successively became the capella primitiva (Sainte-Eugène) a canonical house and a private residence.

The Saint-Jean Baptiste church was disused from 1789, then destroyed between 1794 and 1797.

It was only in 1870 that the city's archaeologist and librarian Auguste Castan undertook excavations there. There he discovered eight Corinthian columns which were reassembled, the remains of the water distribution basin of the Arcier aqueduct (small town located 15 kilometers away) which supplied the city during the Roman era, and those of a hemicycle with an interior diameter close to 54 meters.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_Castan

Translated by Google •

Ein 🐟 namens Wander

August 13, 2024

According to the inscription on the artistically designed stone column, there was once a theater on the square in ancient Vesontio - In addition to the archaeological features of this place, there are also tall trees that provide shade in the summer, as well as several benches.
The tourist information office offers guided tours of Besançon, with a focus on the city's ancient relics.

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Ben der Schweizer

May 28, 2023

Simply designed as a park, the scent of a theater still wafts through the ruins, just let your imagination run wild...

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Details

Informations

Elevation 260 m

Weather

Monday 22 December

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Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

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Location: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

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Castan Square Archaeological Site

1. Vauban Citadel – Rivotte Gate loop from Besançon-Viotte

2. Saint-Maurice Church – Battant Bridge loop from Battant

3. Rivotte Gate – Fort de Chaudanne loop from Besançon-Mouillère

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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