Site: Visseiche

Name:Visseiche CISP No:VSCHE
Place:Visseiche Grid Ref:328.35 2334.55 (FR)   Map
Parish:Visseiche Stones:1
County:Ille-et-Vilaine , France Saint(s):none
Site Type:cemetery

Site Notes

Davies et al/2000, 296--97, `The bourg of Visseiche lies on the eastern edge of Brittany, 32km south east of Rennes and 14km north of Martigné-Ferchaud [MARTF], 7km north east of Retiers [RTIER], and 6km south of Bais [BAIS]. It is situated on the banks of the river Seiche, just under 55m above sea level, in the rolling countryside and good agricultural land of the Rennes basin; the bedrock is Brioverian shale.

The village lies on the Roman road from Rennes to Angers and has been known since antiquity under the name Sipia, as found in the Peutinger Table. Roman-period remains have been found in the neighbourhood since at least the 19th century and a Merovingian settlement site lies 30m east of the excavated cemetery, which is about 125m south of the present church.

In the early 19th century (1827) the settlement of Visseiche was small, the main road running - as now - to the east of its core (ADIetV 3P 5582 Visseiche section D). Neither field pattern nor settlement disposition gives any suggestion of the existence of the sub-surface features which have been excavated in the late 20th century.'

References

Stones