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Origin and history

The miles of Roquefort-des-Corbières are markers of Via Domitia, a major Roman route linking Italy and Spain. Four of these pillars, originally placed along the ancient road, were moved and re-used between the 10th and 14th centuries. Two dates from the reign of Augustus (27 B.C. to 14 A.D.) and carry inscriptions indicating distances from Rome, via Fréjus or Vaison-la-Romane. The other two, fragmentary, mention distances since Narbonne, including a date from Emperors Constantine and Licinius (fourth century). These terminals, now located on the site of the Clotte, have been classified as historical monuments since 1974.

The site was discovered in 1869 by Theodore Marty, who first saw the remains of a stage relay (mutatio or mansio) of Via Domitia. This hypothesis was reversed in the 1960s by Yves Solier, whose aerial excavations and prospecting revealed that the Roman route, built by Domitius Ahenobarbus, proconsul of Narbonnaise, actually bypassed the area by the coastal plain. The terminals, spaced 1,481.5 metres (1,000 Roman double steps), served as a kilometer for travellers, marking the rigorous organization of the Roman road network.

The inscriptions of the Augustus pillars, partially erased, celebrate its imperial titles, such as Pater Patriae (Father of the Homeland) or Pontifex Maximus (Grand Pontiff). The reference point CIL 17-02, 00292 bears a dedication to his twelfth year of reign and his fourteenth consul. These artifacts illustrate the strategic importance of the Via Domitia, a major axis of communication and commerce in Narbonnaise Gaul, as well as the Roman will to assert its power by lasting monumental markers.

Today, the terminals are located near the village of Roquefort-des-Corbières, at coordinates 42°58'32.7"N 2°55'24.2"E. Owned by the commune, they testify to both Roman engineering and medieval reuses, reflecting a local history marked by the superposition of the epochs. Their classification in 1974 highlights their heritage value, both archaeological and historical, for the understanding of ancient infrastructures in Occitanie.

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