In the basements of Bordeaux (4/6): under the Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance, an equally large cemetery

Beneath the Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance lies a similarly sized necropolis, identified as the first Christian site in Bordeaux in the ^4th century. Part of it can be seen by taking a staircase in front of the Saint-Seurin church, or via the crypt of the same church. Guided tour

The Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance is known for its Friday market, its annual garage sale, and the life around the Saint-Seurin basilica. What is less well known is what lies beneath: "a necropolis as large as the square," explains Catherine Goniak, a tour guide for the Bordeaux tourist office, who is organizing tours every day until September 30. "It's the first Christian cemetery in Bordeaux. The oldest remains date from the ^4th century, and people were buried there until the ^18th century, when burials were moved to the Chartreuse cemetery."

The basement of the Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance is thus a mille-feuille of graves, with burial methods that have changed over the centuries. The oldest are located 3 meters below the visitor's feet. This was discovered during the successive excavation campaigns in the 1910s and 1960s, then during the tramway works in the early 2000s and in 2022-2023. And it is precisely a trench from the second campaign that has been developed to make it a place for visitors.

We descend a staircase in front of the basilica and see what archaeologists discovered half a century ago: walls dating from the end of the Roman Empire, sarcophagi and mausoleums that contained the deceased, and even amphorae, whose necks were cut off and in which the remains of children were housed. These objects refer more to Greco-Egyptian-Roman antiquity than to the spontaneous idea we have of Christian funeral rites, and that's logical. "Here, we have what testifies to the junction between these two cultures, that's what's fascinating," analyzes Catherine Goniak.

The use of sarcophagi thus comes from an Egyptian tradition: "It is linked to the idea that the body must be preserved, while the Roman religion advocated cremation." The crosses on the coffins are not uniform. Some have the Latin shape, the one we see most, but others are in "x," like the first letter of the Greek word for "Christ." Some are even in the shape of the Maltese cross, a very ancient emblem of Eastern Christians.

The fish symbol is also regularly found. The Greek word for "fish" has the same letters as the initials of the words that form the formula "Jesus Christ, son of God, savior" in that language. All of this shows how closely Bordeaux was connected to the Mediterranean world when Christianity took root there.

This image of the fish can also be found when you visit the basement of the neighboring basilica. Its crypt was in fact converted from a mausoleum that also belonged to this Gallo-Roman necropolis. Here, several sarcophagi are decorated with scales. Others use plant motifs that are closer to Roman decorations than to those that appeared later in Christian buildings.

Above all, there reigns an atmosphere of calm and harmony that contrasts with the activity on the surface. Even the smooth appearance of the tombs, from having been touched by visitors. "But it's good," smiles Catherine Goniak. "It's proof that these dead are still with us!"