Lanuéjols Mausoleum

General view of the mausoleum

The mausoleum of Lanuéjols , located on the territory of the commune of Lanuéjols in the Département ( Lozère ), was built at the end of the 2nd or the beginning of the 3rd century . The site in the Valdonnez valley was built by a wealthy family in memory of their two sons.

Archaeological excavations

The tomb was uncovered in 1813. The fragments of the roof could not be recovered until 1840. The monument is addressed as a Roman burial site and is classified as a Monument historique . In 1880, just a few meters south of the mausoleum, the foundations of another monument were unearthed.

description

The mausoleum on the territory of the province of Gallia Narbonensis was built in the style of a mausoleum-temple , which was common in the provinces of the Roman Empire from the end of the first century. The walls are made of limestone composite . The morphology of the building follows the tradition of Roman temple building with cella and pronaos . Its main facade is decorated with pilasters in a Corinthian order , which are finished with capitals . The monument is on a podium with a staircase in front of it. It was restored in 1999.

There is an inscription on the lintel of the cella :

HONOR [I] ET MEMOR [I] AE LVCI (I) POMPON (II) BASSVL (I) ET L (VCII) POMP (ONII) / BALBIN (I) FILIORVM PI (I) SS [I] MORVM LVCIVS IVL [I ] VS BASSIANVS PATER / ET POMPONIA REGOLA MATER AEDEM A FVNDAMENTO VS- / QUE CONSVMMAT [I] ONEM EXSTRVXERVNT ET DEDICAVERVNT / CVM AEDIFICIIS CIRCVMIACENTIBVS

In honor and in memory of Lucius Pomponius Bassulus and Lucius Pomponius Balbinus, the most loyal (most devoted) sons, the father Lucius Bassianus and the mother Pomponia Regola (this) temple from the ground up to the completion (in its entirety?) With the (him ) surrounding buildings were erected and consecrated.