Construction of Via Domitia 118 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Work begins under Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus.
1995
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1995 (≈ 1995)
Registration of the Castelnau-de-Guers section.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Tronçon de la Via Domitia taken by rural road number 39 serving as a limit to the territories of the communes of Montagnac and Castelnau-de-Guers to the north, of Mèze, Pomerols and Pinet to the south, from the departmental road 161E to the so-called Mon Plaisir ditch (at the point where the milestone marking the 35th mile stands): inscription by order of 20 October 1995
Key figures
Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus - Proconsul roman
Initiator of the Via Domitia in 118 BC.
Origin and history
The Domitian Way (Via Domitia) is a Roman road built from 118 B.C. under the impulse of the proconsul Cneus Domitius Ahenobarbus, to connect Italy with the Iberian peninsula through the Narbonnaise Gaul. This specific section, located in Castelnau-de-Guers in the Hérault, is part of a 780 km wider route, designed to facilitate military, commercial and administrative travel. The track was punctuated with miles and crossed major cities such as Nîmes, Narbonne and Beaucaire.
The Castelnau-de-Guers section, listed as a Historic Monument in 1995, is a relatively preserved vestige of the Thau basin. It follows a route still visible today, marking the boundary between several communes (Montagnac, Mèze, Pomerols, Pinet). This segment illustrates Roman construction techniques: a straight pavement, often in clay on gravel layers, with paved sections in urban areas. The route played a key role in the local economy by encouraging exchanges between cities.
La Via Domitia was also a symbol of the Romanization of Gaul, integrating the conquered territories into a coherent road network. After the fall of the Roman Empire, certain sections, such as Castelnau-de-Guers, continued to be used in the Middle Ages as Strata francesa or Caminum Gallicum. Today, this heritage bears witness to the ancient heritage in the Occitan landscape, with protected remains such as miles or bridges (e.g., Ambroix Bridge on the Vidourle).
The route was designed to be as straight as possible, crossing varied landscapes, from the Alps to the Montgenèvre pass to the Pyrenees. In Castelnau-de-Guers, the route follows a still visible rural road, marking the border between the neighbouring communes. This section, although less well known than those of Nîmes or Narbonne, remains a significant example of Roman engineering in Narbonnaise, with a width of up to 18 meters (as in Loupian), including a priority central road for official convoys.
The protection of the site by the French State underlines its historical importance. The Castelnau-de-Guers section, like other sections of Via Domitia, is now being studied to understand Roman construction techniques and their adaptation to conquered territories. Archaeological excavations, such as those carried out by INRAP in 2022 in Loupian, reveal details about the layout of the road, with stratified layers of materials and sideways for non-priority users.
