Vienne is a city rich in monuments from Roman times. There is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in France, as well as an early Christian church, which is one of the oldest in the country.
The origins of Vienne are associated with the Celtic settlement. In 121 BC the area was conquered by the Romans and founded a colony. The settlement quickly grew into a large center located at the crossroads of important trade routes. At the peak of its development, approx. 30 thousand people lived here. people. The remains of the former Roman city can be seen in the two districts of Saint-Romain-en-Gal and Sainte-Collombe. Preserved here, among others amphitheater, thermal baths, ruins of magnificent villas, the temple of Augustus and Livia and the pyramid that is the symbol of the city, standing on the arcaded portico.
After the collapse caused by the migration of peoples, the city was reborn in the 4th century as the seat of the bishopric and the capital of Burgundy. At that time, the Church of St. Peter. It stands to this day, although in the form of a modified Romanesque reconstruction from the 9th century, and is one of the oldest churches in France. An attraction among the monuments of Vienne is the Cathedral of St. Maurice with Romanesque and Gothic features.
