Le mausolée turriforme d’une villa près de Carcassonne/Carcasso (Aude)

Archaeological research near Carcassonne, France, has uncovered a rare and exceptional mausoleum dating back to the late 1st century BCE, coinciding with the city's elevation to Latin legal status. This turriform (tower-like) structure, part of a grand rural villa complex on Montredon hill, features an underground burial chamber—a design element uncommon in Gaul or western Europe at this early date. The mausoleum was erected within a private walled enclosure, interpreted as a 'park,' adjacent to the villa's residential area, which follows a classical Latin design centered around an atrium and peristyle. This discovery sheds light on elite burial practices during the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire, offering insights into the cultural and architectural influences of this period in southern Gaul.

Pellé, R. (2019). Le mausolée turriforme d’une villa près de Carcassonne/Carcasso (Aude). Gallia, 76(1), 91–104. https://doi.org/10.4000/gallia.4627