Unlike
Arles,
Nîmes
or
Orange,
Narbonne
cannot
present
to
visitors
any
of
the
great
monuments
that
created the grandeur and splendor of Narbo Martius, capital of the Province of Narbonnaise.
But
the
excavations
undertaken
by
the
Narbonnais
Archaeological
Research
Group
at
the
"Clos
de
la
Lombarde"
since
1973
have
uncovered
a
residential
area
of
the
ancient
city
with
streets,
rich
patrician
houses,
baths,
craft
workshops
and,
perhaps,
the
first
place
of
Christian
worship
in
Narbonne. It has become a major site of ancient urban archeology in the South of France.
The
beautiful
houses
have
yielded
rich
pavings
and
sumptuous
murals
which
constitute,
thanks
to
long
and
painstaking
restoration
works,
the
most
beautiful
set
of
ancient
paintings
of
Gaul.
They
are
today
the
jewel
of
the
Archaeological
Museum
of
Narbonne
where
they
are
on
display.
These
decorations
as
well
as
pavings
and
objects
of
everyday
life
will
be
presented
in
the
future
Museum
built
at
the
initiative
of
the
Languedoc-
Roussillon Region.
But
the
archaeological
site
of
the
"Clos
de
la
Lombarde",
despite
it
being
a
classified
monument,
is
threatened.
The
remains
are
fragile
and,
exposed
to
the
weather,
they
are
likely
to
be
irretrievably
destroyed.
It
has
become
urgent
to protect it before restoring the remnants still in place and arrange it for public display.
With
the
objective
of
working
for
the
preservation,
enhancement
and
animation
of
the
site,
the
association
"
Friends
of
Clos
de
la
Lombarde
"
was
formed
in
early
September
2010.
It
expresses
the
desire
very
often
expressed
by
the
visitors
during
the
"open
doors"
days
to
act
in
favor
of
the
conservation
of
this
exceptional
site
on
both
the
scientific and tourist aspects.
Strong
only
because
of
the
passion
and
good
will
of
its
members,
the
Association
hopes
to
count
you
among
its
members.
