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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The two Roman steles of Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume constitute a major archaeological vestige of the ancient period in south-eastern France. Dated from the first century, they are located near the village church, in the department of Var. Their presence suggests an ancient Roman occupation in this mountainous area of Provence, although their exact function (finerary, honorary or delimitative) is not explicitly detailed in the available sources. These steles bear at least one inscription, a key element that motivated their classification as Historical Monuments by order of 9 January 1929.

The 1929 classification indicates an early recognition of their heritage value, assigning to the commune of Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume the property of the steles. Their current location, at the entrance of the church, could result from medieval or modern reuse as building material or symbolic element, common practice for ancient remains in Provence. The available data do not indicate whether these steles were initially isolated or integrated into a larger monumental complex (necropolis, sanctuary, Roman Way).

The Sainte-Baume region, marked by karst relief and later religious history (in particular linked to the cult of Marie-Madeleine), was in Roman times an area of passage between the coastal plains and the Alps. The steles could thus be linked to old communication axes or rural settlements (village). Their state of conservation and their current accessibility (located as "passable" in the Merimée base) make them fragile but valuable witnesses of this time, although their detailed study seems limited by incomplete archival sources.

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