Mural Remains Discovered at Schieren Gallo-Roman Villa Remains

On Wednesday 3 October 2018, Luxembourg's Minister of Finance, Pierre Gramegna, and Secretary of State for Culture, Guy Arendt, visited the archaeological dig at Schieren.

The Gallo-Roman villa has been known since the nineteenth century and was rediscovered during the construction of the B7 road in 1991. Meanwhile, many excavations have been conducted on the site. The archaeological investigations of the pars urbana (representative or urban part of the agricultural sector) were started in autumn 2013 in anticipation of the possible extension of the B7, and are currently continuing. The U-shaped building is 110m long and 40m wide. The architectural fragments, the mosaics, the hypocaustes (floor heating) as well as the fabulous wall paintings and richly decorated stucco make up the remains of the Schieren estate.

Minister Gramegna and Secretary of State Arendt were informed about the results of the excavations that took place during the summer. Given the huge area, only a few of the rooms have been excavated so far and an additional room has been cleared during recent excavations. Archaeologists have discovered pieces of plaster covered with murals and objects of everyday life. The new discoveries are similar to those of 2015 which are being restored and reconstituted at the Centre for the Study of Roman Wall Paintings in Soissons.

Minister Gramegna and Secretary of State Arendt emphasised the exceptional cultural and scientific interest that such Gallo-Roman remains have. During discussions with officials of the National Centre for Archaeological Research, they discussed the continuation and continued funding of excavations.