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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The mile terminal of Saillans is one of three Gallo-Roman terminals discovered on the town, in the department of Drôme. These terminals marked a secondary route between Valencia and Die, then Gap and Milan, on the left bank of the Rhone. The one classified in 1905, dedicated to the emperors Constance Chlorus, Severus II and Constantine the Great, is either displayed in the hall of the town hall, or used as a blessing in the parish church. All indicate a distance of XVI miles from Die, corresponding to a former ford on the Drôme.

The classified pillar bears two successive dedications, typical of Roman monuments reused under different reigns. Dated from the late third or early fourth century, it illustrates the Roman practice of marking imperial roads. Its classification as historical monuments in 1905 (decree of 16 November) underscores its heritage importance, although its exact location (mary or church) remains subject to confirmation according to the sources.

The three terminals of Saillans, including a dedicated to Emperor Delmatius, offer a rare testimony of Gallo-Roman road infrastructure in this region. Their discovery sheds light on the organisation of the secondary roads in relation to Via Agrippa, the main axis of the Roman network. These artifacts, owned by the commune, are today tangible markers of the local ancient history, linked to key emperors of the Terarchy and the Constantine dynasty.

Epigraphic references (CIL 17-02, 00095; ILN-07, 00272) and databases such as Mérimée or the Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire document their authenticity. Their preservation, despite liturgical or civic reuses, reflects a continuity of use since antiquity. These pillars also recall the strategic role of Drôme as a crossroads between the Alps and the Rhône valley.

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