Palais Gallien

Aquitaine · Frankrig · Ruin

Bordeaux's Roman amphitheatre was for centuries branded the witches' sabbath ground, where Satan himself held court.

The ruined arches of the Palais Gallien are all that remains of Roman Burdigala's amphitheatre – and for centuries this was the most feared spot in Bordeaux. Folk belief held that the region's witches and sorcerers flew here by night, riding brooms and beasts, to celebrate the sabbath under the Devil presiding in the form of a goat. The reputation grew out of reality: the ruin long sheltered the city's underworld, and monks' tales of nocturnal orgies hardened into stories of black masses. In the early 17th century the notorious witch-hunter Pierre de Lancre was dispatched by royal order to purge the region of sorcery.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Palais Gallien?

Palais Gallien ligger i Aquitaine, Frankrig.

Image: Frédéric Rodrigo / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons