Civaux - Saint Gervais et Saint Protais

Civaux, a village with a population of about 1000, has a history rooting very deep. Humans populated the area already, when stepp bisons and mammoths were hunted. Many "pre-historic" artefacts have been excavated in and around Civaux, proving that this place was inhabited over tens of thousands of years.

A settlement stood on the site of the village in Gallo-Roman times, and there are still traces of Roman temples. Excavations have revealed the sites of a theater (capacity 3000), a fortified camp, and the foundations of many villas.

This has been a place of very early christianisation. A funeral stele has been found dating to around 400, a pagan temple and a very early baptisterium were excavated next to the church. The polygonal apse, seen here was probably built as will around 400, what actually means that this church, dedicated to Saint Gervais and Saint Protais is one of the oldest in France.

At that time a kind of pilgrimage must have developed. The relics of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais had been miraculously discovered by Saint Ambrose in Milan in 386, so the saints got very popular in Merovingian times, but that does not explain the enigma of Civaux. The village stands in the center of a huge merovingian necropolis.

As many sarcophagi were sold as water basins or troughs in later time, the exact number of graves is unknown. Serious estimations are between 15.000 and 20.000 graves.

Special thanks to the friendly, polyglott lady of the "Archaeological Museum Civaux", who helped me a lot.


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