Discover the new temporary exhibition “Caesar at Gergovia”
Who hasn’t heard of Julius Caesar?
An ambitious politician whose scheming to seize power in Rome would hasten the end of the Republic. In the spring of 52 BC fate placed him at the foot of the Gergovia oppidum (Gallic fortified town), where he suffered his main defeat during the Gallic War against Vercingetorix.
Designed jointly with the Musée d’Archéologie Nationale in Saint-Germain en Laye, the Inrap (French Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) and the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Clermont-Ferrand, the exhibition Caesar at Gergovia reviews the archaeological discoveries that have revealed and authenticated the remains of the Roman siege of Gergovia.
On show during the visit: historical documents describing the painstaking work by archaeologists commissioned by Napoleon III; effigies of Caesar on coins or in the form of busts; the findings of recent excavations and prospecting carried out on the site of Caesar’s camps; explanations on the use of Roman artillery.
A large part of the exhibition will be devoted to the day-to-day life of the Roman legionary – including information on their supplies and food, training, travel and equipment, leisure activities, etc., along with a computer-generated reconstruction of a Roman camp.
Initially scheduled to run until 8th May 2023, the Caesar at Gergovia exhibition has been extended until 17th September at the Gergovia Museum.
This exhibition has been co-funded by the European Union under the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).