Narbo Martius Foundation 78 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Creation of the Roman port city.
30 av. J.-C.
Construction of vivarium
Construction of vivarium 30 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Vivarium of 65 meters in the villa.
59 apr. J.-C.
Abandonment of the Nautique
Abandonment of the Nautique 59 apr. J.-C. (≈ 100)
Decommissioned port area.
1971 et 2011
Historical monuments
Historical monuments 1971 et 2011 (≈ 2011)
Protection of archaeological remains.
2018
Rediscovered villa
Rediscovered villa 2018 (≈ 2018)
Searches revealing mosaics and hydraulic systems.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The land of 23 000 m2 containing a Gallo-Roman establishment, located in Port-la-Nautique (cad. E 1258p, placedit Garrigues de Saint-Laurent): classification by order of 15 October 1971 - The cadastral plots IN 66 and 67, with the archaeological remains that they contain, located rue des Nautiquards at the place said Port La Nautique: classification by decree of 31 May 2011 - Parcel IN 68, rue des Nautiquards, with the archaeological remains it contains: classification by decree of 22 November 2011
Key figures
Ausone - Roman writer
Describes Narbonne as a major port (IVth century).
Auguste - Roman Emperor (assumption)
Suspected owner of the villa.
Capitaine Molins - Pioneer archaeologist
Directs the first excavations (1903-1907).
Origin and history
The archaeological site of Port La Nautique is part of a vast ancient harbour system of Narbonne, active during the Gallo-Roman period and the Upper Empire. This complex, linked to the province of Narbo Martius, included river ports on Aude (then called Atax), marine facilities, warehouses and communication channels. It served as a hub for trade between Italy, Gaul, Hispania and Aquitaine, especially for wine. The writer Ausone, in the fourth century, described Narbonne as a port where "everything that navigates the universe comes to your docks". The end of Antiquity marked its decline, with the destruction of luxurious buildings to strengthen the harbour works, before a gradual abandonment in the 14th century due to sensibility.
The ancient geography of the area was marked by an inner sea, the Mare narbonesus, surrounded by islands like Saint Lucia, Saint Martin or the Clape. At that time, Aude fell into this navigable lagoon, forming an ideal network for a protected port. The site of La Nautique housed a landing place, production activities (pottery, wine) and an exceptional villa maritima, built around 30 BC. This villa, perhaps linked to Emperor Augustus, had a vivarium of 65 meters (the largest known), swimming pools, terraced gardens and mosaics. Voluntaryly destroyed around 69-70 AD, it was classified as a historic monument in 1971 and 2011 after its rediscovery.
The excavations, initiated in 1903 by Captain Molins, revealed major harbour infrastructures: dikes of 16-17 meters wide dug to 3.50 meters deep to channel the Aude, warehouses (horrea), and remains of docks of the first century. The port declined from the fourth century, with repairs using stones from the Narbonne Forum, before being abandoned in the fifth century. Its definitive entanglement would be linked to a change of course of the Aude, possibly after a catastrophic flood in 1316, or to a gradual abandonment of the dykes upstream.
The site, now protected and covered for conservation, comprises 23,000 m2 of classified remains, including excavated plots on Rue des Nautiquards. Discoveries include ceramics, accasting parts, an oak anchor, and remarkably preserved wooden structures. The excavations of the CNRS, paused since 2022, confirmed the strategic importance of Narbonne as the second Mediterranean port after Rome, before its medieval decline.
