History
article | Reading time5 min
Pierre de Brun, Jules Formigé and Henri Rolland are 3 key figures in the excavation of the ancient city of Glanum.
Pierre de Brun (1874-1941)
Pierre de Brun, an early 20th century archaeologist, was born in Mauriac, Cantal, on November 16, 1874. He was a tax collector with a passion for geology, paleontology and archaeology. His work is at the origin of the important collection now housed in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Provence.
Pierre de Brun traveled and excavated in many places, including the Alpilles, the Causses and the Cévennes rim, the Uchaux massif in the Vaucluse and the Provencal mountain ranges. He gradually built up a rich collection of fossils.
He is credited with leading the excavations at Glanum, which began in 1921, describing numerous archaeological objects and writing a guide to Glanum, a posthumous work published by the Faculté des Sciences de Marseille in 1942.
As soon as he arrived in Saint-Rémy, Pierre de Brun realized that many of the objects he had found were neither grouped together nor protected. He wanted to put an end to this incoherent situation by creating a museum, in 1919, in the Hôtel Mistral Montdragon. He thus became the curator of the Musée des Alpilles. At his request, the building was listed as a historic monument.
Recognized by his peers, the Marseille Academy awarded him the Prix Dassy. He is an officer of the Académie, a member of the Société géologique de France, the Société des statistiques, d'histoire et d'archéologie de Marseille, and many other learned societies.
Pierre de Brun retired in 1934, and enthusiastically continued his work as an inventor right up to his last days. He died at the age of 66, on August 4, 1941. A distinguished humanist, a man of honor and duty, he wished his paleontology collections to live on at the Université de Provence after his death.
©musée des Alpilles
Jules Formigé (1879-1960)
Born in Paris into an Arles family, Jules Formigé was deeply attached to Provence and its history. An architect and archaeologist, he was the son of another famous architect, Jean-Camille Formigé.
After brilliant studies, Jules Formigé followed in his father's footsteps. In 1912, he defended a thesis on the antiquities of Arles and began his career as an architect. He launched the restoration of the interiors of the Château du Roi René in Tarascon.
In 1920, he was confirmed as chief architect of historic monuments, with particular responsibility for Provence.
In this capacity,he worked closely with Pierre de Brun, then Henri Rolland, on the Glanum site. He supported the government's plan to purchase the Hôtel de Sade in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and to restore it as the Glanum archaeological repository.
Jules Formigé's work is extensive and has benefited the whole Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. He organized the excavation of the Orange theater stage, which led to the recovery of fundamental elements of the stage front. He participated in the partial reconstruction of the Trophy of Augustus at La Turbie, initiated by his father. He is also working on the restoration and enhancement of the Fréjus episcopal group (cloister, cathedral and baptistery). Although he was also in charge of monuments such as the Basilica of Saint-Denis and the Palais de Justice in Paris, his attachment to Provençal monuments was such that he remained in charge of projects relating to Saint-Rémy, for example, until his death in 1960.
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Henri Rolland (1887-1970)
Born in Nice, Henri Rolland trained as an architect. He was also a renowned epigraphist and numismatist.
In 1924, he became a member of the French Numismatic Society. His research and discoveries were considerable, including the exploration of the Ugium site (today known as the Saint-Blaise oppidum at Saint-Mître-les-Remparts).
During the Second World War, mobilized as a reserve captain, he was taken prisoner at Dunkirk and released in 1942.
For many years, this man of science welcomed young archaeologists and students with whom he shared his knowledge and skills. In 1955, he was awarded the CNRS silver medal, followed by several academy prizes.
From 1956 to 1964, Henri Rolland was director of the Historical antiquities of Provence, northern region. A member of numerous learned societies, Henri Rolland became a correspondent of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres in 1961. Throughout these years, he was very active outside the two major sites of Glanum and Saint-Blaise.
He was in charge of excavations on the Glanum site and created the Hôtel de Sade repository in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
©CMN
