grandma's wanderlust: Chateau L'isle Marie, Roman Conquest

The Chateau

Julius Caesar conquered the area, that until that moment has been part of Gaul, in 56 BC.

They Gauls were many different Celts tribes that inhabited this area, however, during the Iron Age, their different cultures started to mingle and become one tribe. The Greeks and Romans called all these nations Celts or Gauls.

Anyway, this Celtic area became the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis Secunda. Julius Cesar established his capital at Rotomagus, which today is the city of Rouen. The Romans founded many cities and built many roads. Actually, the road that we still use today going to Portbail has been built by the Romans. Even that now it looks just like any other paved road.

Julius Caesar wanted to invade Romania because of its riches in precious metals. However, the Romans were afraid that Germany was going to invade the Gauls, as they already had crossed Switzerland toward France, crossing Romans territories. And if the Germans were able to conquer the Gauls, they would have a better advantage to also conquer Rome, and this was unacceptable.

Julius Caesar saw this as an opportunity to impress the Senate, so he embarked toward Gaul territory, and after he defeated the Germans and the Gauls submitted to Rome, he returned to Rome victorious.

Under the Roman rules, its inhabitants became Christianized in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries. Saint Mellon became the first bishop of Rouen in 260.

The Romans left in the 4^th century when the Franks, a group of Germanic tribes started invading the region and subsequently conquered the area in the 5^th century.

In 486 the area became part of the Frankish Merovingian kingdom of Neustria under King Clovis, until the 9^th century when the Vikings arrived.

They called this area Neustria, meaning that Neustria was the new (French neuf; German neu) area colonized by the Franks since their settlement in northern Gaul. Neustria was the western kingdom while Austrasia was the eastern kingdom. And the castle was situated in Neustria.

There are no ruins left from the roman’s times, so no pictures from that era.

And it is from the word "Franks" that France derives its name.