In the 1970's a villa was excavated to the north-west of Vuippens (pronounced Vupin), to the west of the Lac de la Gruyère, at the locality La Palaz. The main house, baths and two lime kilns were found. To the east was a Mediaeval necropolis.
View from the site towards the south. Photo: Google Earth.
Plan of the site. 1: baths; 2-3: lime kilns; 4: Mediaeval necropolis; 5: main building. Schwab-Buchiller-Kaufmann 1997, Fig. 5.
The facade of the main house (34.40 x 26.40 m.) was on the south-east side. It consisted of a porticus flanked by tower-like projections. The facade was later enlarged. Behind each projection a heated room was created. The back part of the building was largely taken up by a courtyard. A bit to the south-west were baths (11.80 x 11.80 m.). These formed a separate, square unit with seven rooms, the central one on the north-west side heated. The building was erected in the middle of the first century or somewhat later. It was given up in the last quarter of the third century. Traces of a fire were seen.
View of the main building. Photo: Schwab-Buchiller-Kaufmann 1997, Fig. 1.
View of the baths. Photo: Schwab-Buchiller-Kaufmann 1997, Fig. 21.
Reconstruction drawing of the main building and the baths. Schwab-Buchiller-Kaufmann 1997, Fig. 36.
Literature
Drack-Fellmann 1988, 534; Schwab-Buchiller-Kaufmann 1997.
[17-Nov-2023]
