Gortona, the Gallo-Roman

The country of Sancerre was undoubtedly occupied by the Romans but probably neither at Sancerre nor at Saint-Satur. One can think that there was an oppidum on the rock of Sancerre and that the ancient urban nucleus extended to Saint Thibault, the «Gortona» of the time.

The discovery of imposing remains of Roman villas and ruins bear witness to this. The Loire crossed by a bridge makes this site a favourable place for trade. Gortona then, becomes an agricultural village then viticultural, hence the origin of the name.