Ricciacum Dalheim

History

In Roman times, near the present-day village of Dalheim, there was a small town called Ricciacum. It lay along a major road connecting the Mediterranean to the Rhine, passing through Lyon, Metz and Trier. Travellers stopped there to rest, trade and change horses.

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Ricciacum was founded under Emperor Augustus, around 18/17 BCE, as a roadside station. In the 1st century CE, the town was rebuilt in stone, with solid houses and a well-organised street layout. It then experienced a period of prosperity and spread over nearly 35 hectares. Temples, baths (thermae) and above all a large theatre were built there.

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This theatre, discovered in 1985, could seat around 3,500 spectators. It is particularly remarkable for its state of preservation and for the presence of special “honor seats” with backrests and armrests – a unique feature known in Gaul.

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For several decades, archaeological excavations and research have helped to better understand the layout of the town. Part of the residential quarter along the main street can be seen on the site today. One special feature of Ricciacum is that large areas of the ancient town have never been built over in modern times, making it an outstanding archaeological site at the national level.

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The Gallo-Roman theatre and the vicus of Ricciacum are freely accessible and are now managed by the Centre des Monuments du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, in partnership with the National Institute for Archaeological Research (INRA).