Villa Gallo Romaine de Séviac - France Approches innovatives visant à la valorisation, à la conservation et à la restauration de pavements de mosaïque antiques exposés en plein air

The Gallo-roman villa of Séviac, located in the Municipality of Montréal du Gers in France, was accidentally discovered at the end of the 19th century. The archaeological investigations identified the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century as the period of its greatest splendour. It was a large rural residence that certainly belonged to a high-ranking aristocrat, covering a total area of about 25,000 sqm. In ancient times, it is believed to have mosaic floors with a total area of approximately 1,500 sqm. Currently, the site boasts about 400 sqm of beautiful polychrome mosaics of undoubted technical and stylistic quality. Recently, thanks to the interest of the local authorities, it was decided to invest in the territory through a series of programs aimed at protecting and enhancing the historical, artistic and archaeological heritage of the territory. Through a public competition, a team headed by the Portuguese architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça was selected, as it possessed the specific skills in the required fields. A new fully functional and innovative system of coverage of the entire site was designed and built. After a very complex preliminary diagnostic work, the team, in cooperation with the restoration laboratory of RavennAntica Foundation, designed and then directed the restoration of the entirety of the mosaic floors.