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Origin and history

The Milestone of Estublon, also known as the pillar of Mount Paon, is a Roman vestige discovered in the commune of Fontvieille (Bouches-du-Rhône). Built in 46 AD under Emperor Claude, it marked the seventh mile of Via Aurelia from Tarascon, as its Latin inscription indicates. Its original location, near the estate of Estublon on the side of Mount Paon, suggests its role in the ancient road network linking Italy to Spain via Narbonnaise.

In the 19th century, the terminal was moved to the Baux-de-Provence before being transferred to the museum of the ancient Arles in the 20th century. Ranked a historic monument in 1927, it illustrates Roman engineering and Claude's imperial politics, whose engraved title ("father of the homeland for the 3rd time") confirms the dating. Assumptions of its initial location, such as that of the Cabaron estate near an aqueduct, have been abandoned by historians.

His inscription mentions Claude's fifth Trionician power, renewed in 41 AD, and his title as father of the homeland obtained in 42. These elements, combined with number VII (7 miles), make it a precise marker of the ancient journey. The terminal also bears witness to the movement of heritage objects, often linked to their preservation or tourist development, as evidenced by its successive transfers.

Conserved today in Arles, it is studied as a milestone of the Roman way through the Alpilles. The nearby ruins of the San Peiré chapel and the surrounding graves suggest a lasting occupation of the site, although the terminal itself has been moved for reasons of protection. Its ranking among historical monuments underlines its importance for regional history and archaeology.

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