Passionate about history and geography, we chose to name our holiday home in Sully, at the doorstep of Autun — that emblematic Gallo-Roman city — with a reference that would echo its ancient past.
Moreover, Claire had the privilege of excavating at Bibracte during her archaeology studies (another life, long before the printing press!). So when the moment came to find a name, we gathered for a coffee-fuelled brainstorming session and delved into the rich history of the region.
By evoking Bibracte, perhaps you’ve already guessed how our holiday home came to be called Les Ardents? The inspiration comes from the ancient people of Bibracte and of future Augustodunum, a renowned Gallic tribe. Not quite there yet?
To Caesar what is Caesar’s… and to the Éduens their legacy, with this quote:
Caesar described the Éduens as the most powerful tribe in Gaul, holding numerous allies and the principate of the entire region.*
in https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/eduens
With my fondness for etymology, I dug into the origins of this Gallic tribe and was fascinated by their Latin and Greek roots: Aedui (also Hedui, Haedui, Hædui) in Roman texts, and Aithô in Greek, meaning “to set aflame, to burn.”
In other words, the Éduens were ardent… and that sense truly spoke to us! We love the glow of the brazier in summer and winter alike, the crackle of the fireplace fed with Morvan wood — and so, after countless coffees and wandering conversations, the choice became clear: our home would be Gîte Les Ardents.
An A in flames…
From the first sketch to the final idea: flames, an arrow (can you spot it?), a capital A in DIN Pro… the logo seemed to design itself..
In our research on the Éduens, we also discovered Divitiacus, a renowned druid of the tribe (maybe even the inspiration for Goscinny’s Panoramix?). His story is a captivating one — I encourage you to read more in the links at the end of this article.
In my next post, I’ll share why ours is the only Silius street in all of France… yes, it’s true — look it up in any postal search and you’ll find just one Silius street. And of course, it too has ties to the Romans!
Useful links on the Éduens and Gallo-Roman history in the Morvan:
- https://www.bibracte.fr/ le site du musée à Bibracte
- 5 sites archéologiques à découvrir en Bourgogne
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibracte
- https://blog.lefouilleur.com/monnaies-gauloises-eduens/
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diviciacos le druide Divitiac
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vercingétorix
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustodunum
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/révolte_de_Sacrovir
- https://www.lejsl.com/edition-autun/julius-sacrovir
- de la préhistoire à l’époque gallo-romaine en Morvan