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Key figures

Origin and history

The Milestones of Roquefort-des-Corbières are kilometric markers of Via Domitia, a major Roman route linking Italy to Spain. Four terminals are now grouped on the site of the Clotte, south-west of the village. Two, intact, date from the reign of Augustus (27 B.C. – 14 A.D.) and indicate the distances from Rome via Fréjus or Vaison-la-Romane. The other two, fragmentary, mention distances from Narbonne: one is attributed to Emperors Constantine and Licinius (IVth century), the other is anepigraph (without inscription). These terminals, originally placed along the track, were moved and reused between the 10th and 14th centuries, probably as building materials.

The pillar of Augustus referenced CIL 17-02, 00292 bears a partial inscription celebrating its titles: "Father of the Fatherland", "Sovereign Pontiff", and its 12 consulates. These artifacts illustrate the Roman organization of roads, with spaced terminals of 1,481.5 meters (1 000 double steps). Discovered in 1869 by Theodore Marty, they were first associated with a stage relay (mutatio), a hypothesis reversed by the excavations of Yves Solier ( 1960s). The aerial prospecting revealed that the Via Domitia, built by Domitius Ahenobarbus, was actually avoiding this steep site to take the coastal plain.

Ranked historic monuments since 26 February 1974, the terminals are now located at coordinates 42°58'32.7"N 2°55'24.2"E, on communal land. Their preservation offers a rare testimony of ancient road infrastructure in Narbonnaise, a key region of Romanization. The inscriptions, partially erased, remain a valuable source for the study of old networks and imperial propaganda. The site, owned by the municipality, is accessible to the public, although its exact location on the original route has been revised by modern archaeology.

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