Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Cordon's border pillars, called Fines, form a collection of archaeological remains located in the commune of Cordon, Haute-Savoie. These monuments, spread over three sites between the Col du Jaillet and the Col de l'Avenaz, take the form of cippes, Roman stone pillars. Their establishment follows the ridge line of the Petit Croisse-Baulet, delimiting a mountainous area subject to historical conflicts.

In the first century, tensions between the Allobroges (integrated into the province of Narbonnaise) and the Ceutrons (attached to the Greese Alps) were mainly related to the exploitation of alpine pastures. Despite the existence of traditional limits, disputes were frequent. In 74, Emperor Vespasian sent the legate Cnaeus Pinarius Cornelius Clemens to fix these borders definitively. The purpose of this demarcation was to ease local conflicts and clarify the ownership of land between the two Roman provinces.

The pillars, classified as historical monuments since 14 June 1971, bear witness to the Roman administration in the Alps. Their preservation makes it possible to study methods of territorial management and relations between Gallic peoples under Roman domination. These remains also illustrate the strategic importance of alpine areas, where pastoral resources were a source of rivalry.

Today, the terminals belong to the municipality of Cordon. Their location, although documented, remains of average accuracy (level 6/10 depending on the sources). They are a rare heritage, offering a light on Roman engineering and border dynamics in Gaul.

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