Abstract EN:

Upon studying both the discoveries and the attributions of the architectural fragments of the triumphal arches found in roman Gaul, only seven sites among the eighteen which were potentially interesting have been accorded our attention. These are Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Avignon, Die, Narbonne, Poitiers and Toulouse. The comparative study of the themes suggests a triumphal iconography inspired right by the traditional roman models ; nevertheless its application is plentiful and rich in new features : in Arles, Avignon and Toulouse, the trophies and the captives echoing back those preserved in Carpentras, Glanum and Orange, the victories and the sea centaurs adorning respectively the spandrels of the Poitiers and Die arches, scenes of the impost friezes of the die arch inspired by the mystic of Cybele. In the same way, the architectural restitutions only partially feasible on the sites of Arles, Avignon, Die, Poitiers and Toulouse allow us to establish some links with the Gallia narbonensis and northern Italy arches. Concerning the datings, they can be put forward for all the arches studied: those of Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Avignon, Narbonne and Toulouse are dateable from the augusto-tiberian age, whilst Poitiers is found to be from the second half of the first century after Christ and die from the Severan period.