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All France Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Glanum
AO Edited

Glanum

This ancient Roman town was revered for the healing waters of its sacred spring.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

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Mike Walker
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Glanum was destroyed in 260.   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum was destroyed in 260.   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
This fountain once fed one of the thermal baths of Glanum.   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
Only a fraction of the town has been uncovered.   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
These waters are thought to have healing powers.   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
Wander around the ruins of the Temple of Valetudo. Note the inscription on the brick below the third column, bearing the name of Agrippa   mikewalker / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - Les Antiques   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum - la Fontaine   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Glanum   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
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About

During Vincent van Gogh’s stay at Saint Paul de Mausole, he was sometimes able to leave the grounds of the asylum. During these field trips, he painted fields of wheat, cypresses, and groves of olive trees. He told his brother Theo, “the rustle of the olive grove has something very secret in it, and immensely old.” He may not have realized just how correct he was, for underneath some of these ancient olive groves was buried something far older. Today, a century of excavation has revealed the ruins of an ancient Roman town, named Glanum.

The site of Glanum was originally settled by Ligurian Celts, who built their oppidum, or fortified town, around a healing spring thought to have healing powers. They attributed these powers to Glanis, a healing god. Pilgrims came from all over the region to bathe in the waters and honor Glanis and a trio of goddesses called the Glanicae.

When the Romans conquered Gaul, they Latinized the name of the town to Glanum, and revised the mythology of the spring. The healing powers of Glanis were ascribed to Valetudo, the goddess of health. The Roman general Agrippa built a small temple to Valetudo next to the spring. The original inscription of his name can still be found carved next to the entrance. The Romans also built a triumphal arch and a mausoleum for the Julii family. The French would later nickname these monuments “Les Antiques.”

Glanum was attacked and destroyed in 260 by Germanic tribes. The remaining inhabitants began a new settlement in what is today Saint Remy, using the old ruins as a makeshift quarry. The ruins became flooded with sediment, disappearing completely over the century, with the exception of Les Antiques. Systematic excavation of the site began in 1921, and today it is one of the largest collections of Roman ruins in France. Even now, only 10 percent of the town has actually been excavated. Most of it still remains buried beneath the earth, waiting to be rediscovered.

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Ruins Ancient Rome

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Entry costs €9, and is free to EU residents under 26 years old. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

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mikewalker

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philoursmars

  • philoursmars

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January 31, 2025

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  • https://www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/monuments/ancient-roman-city-glanum-saint-remy-de-provence
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20110510143650/http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg84/gg84-46627.html
Glanum
Av. Vincent Van Gogh
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 13210
France
43.773567, 4.833073
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Nearby Places

Saint-Paul de Mausole

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

miles away

Carrières de Lumières

Les Baux-de-Provence, France

miles away

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Tarascon, France

miles away

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France

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Saint-Paul de Mausole

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

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