The Pâture du Couvent was a busy city center in ancient Bibracte, in part because this large, graceful basin (visible basin container dates to the 19th century) was a major water source. The cistern, which was excavated by French and Spanish archaeologists in 1987, is framed by rose-colored granite, is 11 meters (33 feet) long, and is formed by the intersection of two large, overlapping 1/5 circles. The southernmost tip of the basin is aligned with the summer solstice. On the morning of each summer solstice, the tip is aligned with the rising sun as it comes over one of the highest points of a mountain to the south.
Beyond the basin we can see the tents protecting excavations of the ruins of the large 15th century Convent of the Cordeliers. This Franciscan monastery was occupied up the the end of the 17thcentury. It was severely damaged by fires in 1538 and 1570, and was built near the ruins of Celtic and Gallo-Roman occupations. This area of the mountain top is named for the convent, which was quite large, with a chapel, cloister, and rooms enclosing some 10,000 square meters (30,000 square feet).
