The Perigueux Amphitheatre
The Amphitheatre at Perigueux was built to seat an audience of 20,000, giving some indication of the importance of the town even at that time. After the Romans, it was used by 12th century local nobility as a chateau. When the city wall was constructed, the Amphitheatre formed part of its western side, jutting out. The hundred years war left it ravaged, the counts of Périgueux used it for their château, and lived in it from the 12th to the end of the 14th century. In 1644 it was given over by the town to the Order of the Visitation, and the sisters took from it the stones required for the construction of a nunnery. It now serves as an unusual, attractive public park – the Jardin des Arènes.

Perigueux’ Roman past

The Roman settlement, a little to the west of the original Gallic settlement was an important centre. Baths, an aqueduct, a 20,000 seat amphitheatre and a large temple were constructed.

Little now remains, unfortunately of the Roman town, however, the following sites can be visited:

The Tour de Vésone
About 30 m high and 22m in diameter, itself but a part of the temple
The Amphitheatre
The ruined remains are now a pretty public park - Jardin des Arènes
The Roman House
Next to the Chateau Barrière, between the Amphitheatre and the tower

Not to be missed is the relatively recent addition, the Musée Gallo-Romain de Périgueux is built over the remains of a Roman Villa – the Domus de Vésone, originally discovered in 1959.

Click on any of the photos above to view a larger image here below: