Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Via Domitia, built from 118 B.C. under the impulse of proconsul Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus, was the first Roman road in Gaul. It linked Italy to Hispania via the Narbonnaise Gaul, facilitating military travel, trade and the cohesion of the imperial road network. Its route, known thanks to ancient sources (table of Puisinger, route of Antonin) and archaeological remains, traversed major cities such as Nîmes, Narbonne and Beaucaire, punctuated with miles and art works (bridges, triumphal arches).

The section of Redessan, listed as historical monuments in 1987, is one of the sections still visible today. This portion, like others in the Gard and Herault, illustrates Roman construction techniques: reinforced earth road, stratified gravel layers, and straight alignment. The route played a key role in the local economy by connecting the cities (Nemausus/Nîmes, Ugernum/Beaucaire) and promoting trade, especially wine-growing, as evidenced by the villas and workshops discovered nearby.

After the fall of Rome, some sections remained used in the Middle Ages, integrated with medieval routes such as the Strata francesa. The Via Domitia also symbolizes the logistical challenges of antiquity: crossing the Alps (Col de Montgenèvre), rivers (Durance, Rhône), and adapting to the territories, with coastal or interior variants in Narbonnaise. Its legacy persists in toponymy (colleges, universities) and modern infrastructure (A9, N100), recalling its historical importance as a cross-border axis.

The Redessan section, located on Jonquières Old Road, is protected for its archaeological value. Nearby, Mile IX, known as Peire di Novi, bears the inscription of Emperor Tiberius, marking the 9th mile from a stallion city. These vestiges, combined with those of Beaucaire (Visual Villa of the Tourelles) or Castelnau-le-Lez, offer a concrete testimony of Roman engineering and its lasting impact on urban planning and the landscapes of southern France.

External links