Alesia

Alesia, also known as Alésia, is the site of a major ancient Gaulish oppidum located on a high plateau near the modern town of Alise-Sainte-Reine in the Côte-d'Or department of eastern France. The settlement is traditionally associated with late Iron Age Gaul and is a key reference point in Roman accounts of Gaul.

In 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, leading the Roman forces during the Gallic War, besieged and defeated Vercingetorix and his coalition at Alesia. The siege, described by Caesar in De Bello Gallico, marked a turning point in the Roman conquest of Gaul and effectively ended Gallic resistance to Roman rule.

Archaeological work at the site has identified remains of a substantial oppidum and associated fortifications dating to the late 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. The identification with Caesar's Alesia has been debated, but the Alise-Sainte-Reine location is widely treated as the conventional site of the battle.

Today, Alesia is preserved as a historic site that attracts visitors and researchers. It includes remains of ramparts and informative displays about the siege and the surrounding landscape. The site is recognized as an important source for understanding Roman Gaul and the memory of Caesar's campaigns.