The Sarrasinière is a Roman ruin located in the commune of Andance, in the Ardèche department of France. Situated between Andance and Sarras along the departmental road following the Rhône, it consists of imposing masonry that is the unique remainder of a Roman mausoleum whose entire facing has disappeared.
Traces of housing were identified and excavated nearby in the 1970s. For many years, these remains were thought to be the trophy of General Quintus Fabius Maximus, who defeated the Allobroges and their allies in 121 BC during the battle at the confluence of the Rhône and Isère rivers near Romans-sur-Isère. However, it is more modestly the tomb of an anonymous notable rather than a building honoring a prestigious figure.
The name Sarrasinière is common to other Gallo-Roman ruins. While one version suggests it refers to the destruction of the 8th century, another version suggests the term is a distortion of the adjective Cesarian or Cesarini. The name has no connection to the nearby commune of Sarras. The edifice has been classified as a historical monument since 1889.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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