1,500-year-old Christian cathedral, baptistery unearthed beneath market in France

Archaeologists in southeastern France have uncovered the remains of an early Christian cathedral and a remarkably preserved baptistery dating back more than 1,500 years, which they are calling one of the most significant finds in decades.

The results of the excavations were presented to the press on July 31, following months of work beneath the market halls of Vence, a commune just west of Nice, FSSPX News reported.

“This discovery is of such magnitude that it only occurs once every 50 or 60 years in Europe,” said Fabien Blanc-Garidel, head of the Nice metropolitan area’s archaeological service, who is leading the project.

The renovation of Vence’s market halls led to the unearthing of the cathedral earlier this year.

Since March, teams working under the supervision of Franck Sumera, general curator of the archaeology service at the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, have revealed a complex spanning about 30 meters (over 32 yards).

Excavators say the site reflects more than six centuries of Christian life, from the fifth to the 11th centuries, before the cathedral was abandoned and razed.

Continued below.