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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Roman bridge of Boisseron, located in the Herault department in the Occitanie region, was built in the 1st century under the Roman High Empire to cross the Benova River. It was part of a secondary road linking the Cevennes to the Mediterranean coast via the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes, in a network complementary to the Domitian Way. Originally, it had five full arches, a length of 50.60 metres and a width of 3.57 metres, with a construction technique in two independent rings, similar to that observed on other regional bridges such as the Sommières or the Gard Watershed.

Around 1830, during the first quarter of the 19th century, the bridge underwent major transformations: an upstream widening, the addition of a sixth ark on the right bank, and obstruction of evacuation hearing, altering its original appearance. These changes were likely to respond to growing local traffic needs, in a context where Boisseron was already a crossroads between L'Hérault and the Gard, near Sommières.

Ranked among the historical monuments since 2008 (after a first inscription in 2005), the bridge illustrates Roman engineering adapted to the hydraulic constraints of Benovia, a stream prone to devastating floods, such as that of October 1998 which struck the watershed of the Vidourle. Its history also reflects the region's territorial dynamics, marked by exchanges between Nîmes — the regional capital of the Roman era — and the surrounding rural areas.

The Boisseron site, attested from the 12th century under the name of "Buxedonis Lucus" (place covered with boxwood), was strategically positioned near a Roman military castrum over the bridge. This road infrastructure played a key role in securing the roads between the coast and the hinterland, while facilitating the movement of legions between Restinclières (covered by a large garrison) and Nîmes.

Today, the Roman bridge of Boisseron bears witness to both the durability of ancient works and the subsequent adaptations to meet modern needs. Its classification as a historical monument underscores its heritage importance, in a rural commune where Vidourle and Benovia continue to structure the landscape and local history.

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