Palais Gallien

History of the Palais Gallien district

The oldest remains of Bordeaux, the Palais Gallien designates the Roman amphitheater of Burdigala, the 2nd century, which still has beautiful arches, a monumental door and structural elements. A large part of the site occupied by the building is now covered with houses. Still standing in the 17th century, the abandoned coliseum was then a poorly-known refuge. Under the Revolution, the place becomes a public career. Parts of the building will then be demolished to allow the sale of lots of land and the construction of homes. The remaining vestiges will be classified and confirmed only from 1840. The name of "Palace Gallien" is the fruit of several legends and confusions around the origin and the dating of the ruins.

The essentials of the Palais Gallien district

The district of the Palais Gallien incorporates in its urban architecture the ruins of the former amphitheater, whose arches and the remaining door are enclosed in the urban landscape, between the houses of the late 18th and 19th century. Housed in a square at the end of the 19th century, the archaeological site is now an unusual green space in the heart of the district. Guided and sometimes nocturnal tours in the summer are organized to allow Bordeaux residents and visitors alike to learn more about the Coliseum and the ancient origins of Bordeaux. From the outside, the ruins can be admired from different angles from the rue du Colisée, rue du Palais Gallien, rue du Docteur Albert-Barraud and rue Émile-Fourcand. In the immediate vicinity of the Palais Gallien is also the Public Garden and its Science and Nature Museum, the Fondaudège street leading to the Place Tourny near the Quinconces, as well as the Saint-Seurin basilica a few hundred meters to the south.

Living in the Palais Gallien district

Historic quarter, the Palais Gallien is renowned for its calm and its setting offering a high quality of life. Between the arenas, the Public Garden and the Place des Quinconces, the green spaces where to oxygenate and walk with family are legion. The shops of the Fondaudège street bring to the district its dynamism. The banks of the Garonne River are within a few minutes' walk, as are the Jardin Public and Quinconces stops on the C tram line. The Palais Gallien is surrounded by schools, local shops, sports halls and local services. The arena site brings homes built around space and brightness in the heart of the city.