On a low hill in Colombier a castle was built on top of a large villa, from the 11th century onwards. The first excavations were carried out by Frédéric DuBois de Montperreux in 1840-1842. More work took place in the years 1908-1911 and 1982. Some of the remains can still be seen today, next to the castle. The construction of the villa has been dated to the second half of the first century. Major changes have been assigned to the early third century.
Colombier Castle with remains of the villa in the foreground. Photo: from YouTube.
The excavations in 1908. Photo: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.
Plan of the villa. De Reynier 2018(2), Abb. 3.
1: secondary buildings; 2: main house and castle; 3: terrace and garden: 4: gate for wagons; 5: main baths.Areas to the west and east of the main house were enclosed by walls. There was a gate for wagons in the north wall (4). Terraces to the east offered a view of the Lac de Neuchâtel, 800 meters away (3). In between the two areas were the main house (2) and separate baths to the south-east (5; 22 x 17 m.).
Plan of the baths to the south-east. Vouga 1943, Pl. XXV.
View of the baths to the south-east. Photo: Vouga 1943, Pl. XX,1.
Plan of the main house. Ribaux-De Boe 1984, fig. 7.
2: porticus; 4: (crypto)porticus; 6: arcade with four columns; 7: double staircase; 8: apse; 9, 11: heated rooms; 13-14: bathing rooms; 15: peristyle.The facade of the main house was about 80 meters wide. The building had two north-south running porticoes (2, 4). The western one ended in an apse at the south end (8), the eastern one was above a cryptoporticus, a semi-interred corridor. In between the porticoes a double staircase (7) led to upper floors. The east side had two tower-like projections. In one of these a hypocaust for heating was installed (9). Between the projections was a small arcade with four Tuscan columns (6). Behind the western corridor was a peristyle with a garden (15). To the north another small heated room was found (11). To the south were a few bathing rooms, some heated (13-14). A few wall paintings could be reconstructed. Small fragments of floor mosaics were uncovered. The owner of the villa was presumably politically and economically active in Aventicum (Avenches VD), eight kilometers from the opposite shore of the lake. It has been suggested that he was a member of the family of the Otacilii.
Reconstruction of wall paintings. De Reynier 2018(2), Abb. 5.
Model of the villa. Photo: De Reynier 2018(2), Abb. 4.
Literature
Wavre 1905; Anzeiger für schweizerische Altertumskunde 10 (1908), 173; Jahresbericht der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte 1 (1908), 90; 5 (1912), 168; Vouga 1943, 158-164; Drack 1950, 66; Von Gonzenbach 1961, 94-95; Ribaux-De Boe 1984; Drack-Fellmann 1988, 384-385; Drack-Fellmann 1991, 104-106; Bujard-Morerod 2002; De Reynier 2018(2); Bujard-De Reynier-Piguet 2020. Unfortunately the most recent literature about the villa is not readily available.
[11-Dec-2023]
