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Origin and history

The Via Domitia is a major Roman road built from 118 B.C. under the impulse of proconsul Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus, whose name it bears. Destined to link Italy to the Iberian peninsula by crossing the Nabornaise Gaul, it facilitated the movements of the Roman legions, merchants and imperial representatives. Its 780 km long route followed a strategic route through key cities such as Nîmes, Narbonne and Beaucaire, while avoiding the independent territory of Massalia (Marseille).

The construction of the Via Domitia took place in a context of Roman consolidation after the conquest of southern Gaul around 120 BC. It linked Italian and Hispanic road networks, strengthening the cohesion of the Empire. Miles, bridges (such as the Julien Bridge near Apt) and urban doors (such as the Auguste to Nîmes gate) mark its route. The road was mainly in dirt, with paved sections in the cities, and crossed varied landscapes, from the Alps to the Montgenèvre pass to the Pyrenees.

In Montagnac, Hérault, a section of Via Domitia has been protected as historical monuments since 1995, among other sections classified or listed in neighbouring departments. After the fall of Rome, certain sections were reused in the Middle Ages under the name Strata francesa or Caminum Gallicum, particularly between Narbonne and the Roussillon. The road symbolizes Roman engineering and its lasting impact on European infrastructure.

The Via Domitia is mentioned in ancient sources such as Vicarello cups, Puisinger's table and Antonin's itinerary, which accurately describe its route. Legends associate it with an older route, the Heracléan Way, attributed to the Greek hero Heracles. Its legacy persists in modern toponymy, with schools or universities bearing its name, such as the University of Perpignan Via Domitia.

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