Saturday, 03.07.2004 - Lousonna (Lausanne)

The most important prehistoric traces in the present Lausanne Vidy are a question of a necropolis.

In the years 40 to 20 BC were constructed here some houses. Possibly the city hill was used before that contemporary as an oppidum.

Because of the consolidation of the roman power from the year 15 BC this place became a roman vicus. Due to its good position (waterway Rhone - lake Geneva, route to Aventicum - Vindonissa - Augusta Raurica, route to Ariolica - Vesontium) the vicus developed to one of the largest on the territory of the present Switzerland. As place names are known Leusonna and Lousonna the first is presumably the older one.

The vicus extended onto a length from approximately one kilometer along 3 streets that ran from west to east. These were combined by cross-roads. Although the village was not planned in the insulae system this can be realized, in some parts nevertheless.

Due to the importance of the place different public buildings were constructed: A basilica with forum and a temple (in gallo-roman style), a theater and thermal springs. It existed various warehouses near the port. Also a sanctuary appertained to it. Next to the usual residential buildings it gave too residential- and artisan-buildings. At the northern slope of the village was presumably a farm.

Due to the raids of the Germanic from the middle of the 3rd century, the vicus was left by degrees. However, a partial settlement can be verified until the 4th century. But the settlement moved presumably onto the city hill more and more.

Today still some remains are to be seen from the roman Lousonna: Archaeological park (forum, temple, basilica, port, warehouses), mosaic, Roman Museum with integrated conserved domus (mural paintings) and a megalith of the prehistoric sanctuary. Obviously nothing is conserved from the theater.