File:Châteaubleau Riobé - The sacred spring near the Roman Theater - La Tannerie.jpg

English: The modern village of Châteaubleau probably owes its existence to the proximity of a Roman road connecting Sens with Senlis. It is thought to have begun as a place where travellers on that road could rest on their journey and to have grown in size as traffic on the road increased during the relative peace and prosperity of the second century AD. Various public monuments have been identified as dating from that period, as well as workshops, a theatre capable of accommodating several thousand spectators, and a water-cult sanctuary. The settlement appears to have escaped destruction during the invasions of the third century and it was not finally abandoned until as late as the fifth century. The remains of the theatre can still be seen, while other relics include the sanctuary at La Tannerie, where the healing waters still flow. To promote local efforts to preserve the site and continue excavations, volunteers stage regular Gallo-Roman festivals attended by archaeologists, craftworkers, and other interested parties.