Construction of Via Domitia 118 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Work begins under Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus.
1987
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 1987 (≈ 1987)
Protection of the Castelnau-le-Lez section.
2022
Archaeological searches in Loupian
Archaeological searches in Loupian 2022 (≈ 2022)
Discovery of an 18-metre wide section.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Via Domitia (section) (Box B 22-25; A 567 to 570, 572, 573, 5404 to 5406, 5408) : entry by order of 5 February 1987
Key figures
Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus - Proconsul roman
Initiator of the Via Domitia in -118.
Marcus Fonteius - Producer in Gaul
Accused of malfeasance for his maintenance.
Auguste - Roman Emperor
Developed Narbonne and Via Julia Augusta.
Origin and history
The Via Domitia, built from 118 BC under the impulse of proconsul Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus, was the first Roman road in Gaul. It linked Italy to Hispania by crossing the Narbonnaise Gaul, facilitating military travel, trade and the cohesion of the imperial road network. Its route, punctuated with miles and works of art such as bridges, followed a route as straight as possible, adapted to the terrains.
The Castelnau-le-Lez section, listed as a historical monument in 1987, is part of this strategic network. The route crossed key cities such as Nîmes (Nemaususus), where it entered through the Augustus Gate, and Beaucaire (Ugernum), marking its passage with archaeological remains still visible. In Castelnau-le-Lez, this section bears witness to the importance of the region in ancient communications, linking the Alps to the Mediterranean coast.
The Via Domitia was designed to last, with a stratified structure of gravel and pebbles, sometimes paved in urban areas. After the fall of the Roman Empire, some of its sections were reused in the Middle Ages, integrated into medieval roads such as the Strata francesa. Its heritage persists in the local toponymy and archaeological discoveries, such as the section exhumed at Loupian in 2022, revealing a total width of 18 meters.
The route played a major economic role, stimulating exchanges between the Gallic and Roman cities. Milestones, such as those visible at Beaucaire or Manduel, marked the distances and successive repairs. In Castelnau-le-Lez, the protected section corresponds to a key segment between the Rhône and the Pyrenees, illustrating the Roman adaptation to geographical constraints, such as the crossing of the Lez.
Its layout, documented by ancient sources such as Puisinger's table or Vicarello's cups, shows rigorous planning. The Via Domitia avoided Marseille, then independent, but linked strategic centres like Narbonne (Narbo Martius), founded in -118 BC as a Roman colony. Its heritage also includes related monuments, such as Glanum's triumphal arch or Julien Bridge near Apt.
Today, this section is a precious archaeological testimony, protected for its historical value. It recalls the integration of the Narbonnaise Gaul into the Roman Empire and the lasting engineering of ancient ways, still visible in the modern landscape.
