Vienne, the Roman town on the Rhône, Lyon

About Vienne

Vienne lies on the left bank of the Rhône where the River Gère joins it. Before the Romans it was the capital of the Gallic Allobroges, and around 47 BC, under Julius Caesar, it became the Roman colony of Vienna, one of the leading centres of Gaul on a vital river route. Later it was a provincial capital and an important bishopric.

Today it's a quiet provincial town where Roman monuments stand right among the houses. People from Lyon come for the Saturday market, one of the biggest in the region, and the summer jazz festival.

What to see

• Temple of Augustus and Livia — a Roman temple on the town square.
• The Roman theatre — tiers on the slope of Mont Pipet.
• The Pyramid — the circus 'Needle' on an arched portico.
• Saint-Maurice Cathedral — Gothic, 11th–16th centuries.
• Saint-Pierre — a Romanesque church with a stone museum.
• The Roman road — ancient paving stones in the park.

The Temple of Augustus and Livia

Vienne's most famous monument is the Temple of Augustus and Livia, a rectangular temple with Corinthian columns built under Emperor Claudius. It stands on a square in the town centre, just as it did two thousand years ago.

It survived so well because it was turned into a church soon after the end of paganism and later served the town in other ways. The famous Maison Carrée in Nîmes had a similar fate; they're the two finest Roman temples in France. The temple is beautifully lit in the evening.

The Roman theatre and the Pyramid

On the slope of Mont Pipet, east of the centre, lies a large Roman theatre, its tiers back in use for concerts. The top rows look out over Vienne's rooftops and the Rhône.

In the south of town stands the Pyramid, the Plan de l'Aiguille or 'Needle': a truncated stone pyramid on a portico with four arches. It decorated the central spine of the Roman circus, where chariot races were held. Nearby, in the town park, paving stones of a Roman road survive, and remains of aqueducts lie in the Gère valley.

The cathedral and churches

Saint-Maurice Cathedral took almost five centuries to build, from 1052 to 1533. It's 96 metres long and 27 metres high, without a transept; its Gothic west front, with portals above a stairway down towards the river, is especially fine.

The Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre is one of France's oldest, rebuilt as early as the 9th century. It now houses a stone museum of Roman sculpture, including a head of Juno and a statue of Tutela, the town's protector. The ruins of a 13th-century castle crown Mont Salomon above the town.

Tips for your visit

Half a day is enough for Vienne: the temple, cathedral and Saint-Pierre are central, the theatre a little up the slope and the Pyramid a 15-minute walk south. If you love archaeology, a large Gallo-Roman museum with mosaics lies across the Rhône.

Vienne pairs easily with Vieux-Lyon and Fourvière Basilica, which has Roman theatres too, so you see two cities of Roman Gaul in a day.

The centre is flat, but the theatre involves climbs and steps. Summer afternoons are hot, so come in the morning.

How to do it right

• Saturday market.
• Summer jazz in the theatre.
• 20–30 minutes by train.
• Mornings beat the heat.

Questions