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Origin and history

Vichy Mile Terminal is a Gallo-Roman archose column, 2.35 m high, discovered in 1880 in the northeast corner of the Old Moutier Cemetery. It was originally planted on the Roman road linking Clermont-Ferrand (Civitas Arvernorum) to Autun, indicating a distance of 21 leagues (about 50 km) from the Artern capital. His Latin inscription honors Emperor Philip the Arab and his son Philip II, dating his erection around 248–249.

The terminal, which was listed as a historic monument in 1916, is now on display in the Domes thermal hall in Vichy. It was originally laid horizontally, engraved on the inside, before being straightened. Its original location corresponds to the present Victoria Avenue, a route of the ancient Roman way through the city. The Civitas Arvernorum (Clermont-Ferrand) then administered Vichy, integrated into the Gallia Aquitania.

The inscription, engraved on a vertical plateau, reads: "imp(eratori) d(omino) n(ostro) M(arco) Philippo Aug(usto) and Marco Iul(io) Philippo nobilissimo Caesari civitas Arvern(orum) l(eugas) XXI". Translated, it means: "Our master Emperor Marcus Philippe Auguste and Marcus Julius Philippe, very noble Caesar. Civitas Arvernorum, 21 leagues". This terminal, although called "mileage", is technically a leugary terminal, measuring Gallic leagues.

Undiscovered by chance during the work, it was moved shortly afterwards to the thermal baths of the Domes, where it remained accessible to the public. Its state of conservation makes it possible to distinguish clearly l'arkose, local rock used, and engraved Latin characters. The terminal illustrates the Roman road organization in Gaul and the administrative role of Clermont-Ferrand as the central city of the Arvernes.

Archaeological sources (CIL XVII-2) and historical sources (Corrocher 1981) confirm its authenticity and its connection to the ancient old network. The terminal is now owned by the municipality of Vichy, which has been protected as historical monuments for more than a century.

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