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.