From Agedincum to the modern city
Imagine you could travel back in time ! The Museums of Sens, in the former archbishops’ palace, are the perfect place to travel back in time and join our ancestors in the Palaeolithic age.
To meet the Gallic ancestors, fast forward to 390 BC. On the stairs of the Museums, stands an impressive statue of Brennus, leader of the Senones, who secured their place in history by seizing Rome.
350 years later, Caesar stationed six legions in Agedincum, the future town of Sens, before going to face Vercingetorix and the Gallic tribes at Alésia.
With peace established, a Roman city arose where the Gallic site had been, with streets crossing at right-angles. This urban layout still exists today, the Grande Rue corresponding to the old Decumanus Maximus, while Rue André Gâteau, extended by Rue de l’Ecrivain, corresponds to the old Cardo Maximus.
The town grew, with mosaics, sculptures and baths that can be seen in the underground part of the museums. However, the true wealth of the Museum’s Gallo-Roman collections lies in the funerary steles. Incorporated in the ramparts built in haste during the barbarian invasions in the 3rd century AD, the steles have been kept in an exceptional state of preservation, protected over the centuries from the ravages of time. This collection has made the Museums of Sens a point of reference for the Gallo-Roman world.
Sacred Art Treasures of Sens
The capital of a Roman province in ancient times, Sens became a religious metropolis with the spread of Christianity in the 4th century. In the Middle Ages, the Archdiocese of Sens ruled over the dioceses of Chartres, Auxerre, Meaux, Paris, Orléans, Nevers and Troyes and its Archbishop was second only to the Pope! The Cathedral Treasury is housed in the former chapel of the Archbishops’ Palace which adjoins the building. It has some wonderful remnants, even though the Revolution passed through! You can see some exceptional pieces, including splendid Flemish tapestries from the 15th century, the chasuble of Thomas Becket and the Sainte Châsse, a reliquary in ivory. It is impossible to describe all the riches contained in the Treasury Room, you will have to see it yourself to believe it, but here’s a little taste.
Why “Museums” of Sens ?
We say “Museums” because several collections are gathered, municipal, national and private!
The Museums offer wealthy and varied collections. As well as the Gallo-Roman collections and Cathedral Treasury, there are other remarkable pieces, including the Marrey collection of ironworks, paintings from the Flemish and Dutch schools and two sculptures by Rodin. We have a soft spot – we must admit – for the Treasury of Villethierry, containing 847 Bronze Age jewels.
Useful links
- Find practical information about the Museums and the agenda of exhibitions.
- Let “One day in Sens” inspire you.
- Continue your visit in the Carnot Museum and Art Gallery in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne and other heritage sites around Sens.
