Data collection entre -10 et 10 apr. J.-C. (≈ 100)
Coal analyses (Rigal)
fin Ier – début IIe siècle apr. J.-C.
Construction of thermal baths
Construction of thermal baths fin Ier – début IIe siècle apr. J.-C. (≈ 225)
Waterworks in Cahors
IVe – début Ve siècle
End of operation
End of operation IVe – début Ve siècle (≈ 504)
Gradual abandonment of water supply
26 novembre 1953
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 26 novembre 1953 (≈ 1953)
Vestiges de Vers protégés
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Pontius Polemius - Prector of Gauls (assumption rejected)
Misallocation via a brick
Didier Rigal - Archaeologist specialist
Date and route studies
Origin and history
The Roman aqueduct of Divona, located mainly in the commune of Vers en Occitanie, was built to supply drinking water to the ancient city of Divona Cadurcorum (now Cahors). Its 33 km route, starting from the sources near the Murcens oppidum, followed the valley of the Vers and then that of the Lot to the Roman baths of Cahors, of which the Arc of Diane remains. The dating of the work, although debated, is associated with that of the thermal baths, built between the end of the Ist and the beginning of the 2nd century A.D., with indices of captures dating from -10 to 10 A.D. through analyses of charcoals.
An ancient tradition attributed its construction to a certain Polemius, due to a dedicated brick discovered in the seventeenth century. However, Didier Rigal's research invalidated this hypothesis, with known Polemius occurring after the construction period. The water probably worked until the fourth or fifth century, in parallel with the use of the thermal baths. Its layout covered 784 private properties, with an average slope of 0.11% and an estimated flow rate of 11,000 m3 per day, illustrating remarkable hydraulic control.
The remains of Vers, listed as historical monuments in 1953, include catchment areas near the Polémie fountain and a dam on the Vers. The hypothesis of a link between the displacement of the population from Murcens to Divona after the Roman conquest reinforces the strategic importance of this aqueduct. Its abandonment coincides with the decline of urban infrastructure at the end of Antiquity, marking the transition to the Middle Ages in the region.
Archaeological studies, including those of Didier Rigal and INRRAP, have clarified its layout and construction techniques. Recent excavations, such as those mentioned in 2005 by La Dépêche, have revealed new remains, confirming its central role in Roman urban planning in Quercy. The aqueduct remains a major testimony of the integration of the Gallic territories into the Empire, through sustainable hydraulic development.
