Switzerland's Roman Past

Exploration of a new museum opening in Lausanne on the Roman settlement in the area

A world away from traditional visitor images of winter holidays and cuckoo clocks, new museum and excavation developments are underlining the significance of Switzerland's Roman past and inheritance.

The most striking recent example is the opening of a new museum in Lausanne's suburb of Vidy, highlighting the discovery of a substantial Roman settlement by the shores of the lake. The new museum, which cost nearly £2 million, was developed in close collaboration between architects, designers and archaeologists. It is constructed around two substantial in situ remains of the Roman settlement of Lousanna which include a striking fragment of coloured mural painting, dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

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