A villa in Vicques, to the east of Delémont, saw two major excavation campaigns: in the years 1844-1846 and 1935-1938, led by Auguste Quiquerez and Alban Gerster respectively. It covered an area 225 meters wide and at least 375 meters long.
The remains of the main house as they appear today. Photo: vici.org, Werner Doenni.
Plan of the villa. Drack-Fellmann 1988, Abb. 496.
A: main building; B: baths: C-F, H: secondary buildings; G: temple (?); J: gate.The rooms of the main building (A) were grouped around an open area. Behind that area (to the south) were symmetrically arranged rooms between two porticoes. The portico along the open area had two projections at the ends. It then continued along the sides of the open area, behind which were further rooms. A corridor led to baths with nine rooms (B). Two rooms had hypocausts for heating. In one of the rooms was a mosaic with stones of blue glass. Another room had a marble floor. Remains of paintings were seen both in the main house and in the baths. The pottery and coins indicate use from the first century until around 350 AD. The finds were taken to the Musée Jurassien d'Art et d'Histoire in Delémont.
Reconstruction of the main building and the baths by B. Reymond and C. Cramatte.
Literature
Quiquerez 1862, 197-207; Gerster 1939; Von Gonzenbach 1961, 222-223; Gerster-Rais 1983; Drack-Fellmann 1988, 531-533; Drack-Fellmann 1991, 109, 268-269; Spitale 1992; Demarez 2001, 110-111; Cramatte - Robert-Charrue 2010.
[8-Dec-2023]
