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Origin and history

The Roman road of Coudououx, located near the Collet-de-Dèze in Lozère, is an ancient vestige carved in the schist, characterized by two deep parallel ruts and three anthroponymic inscriptions engraved in the rock. In 1978, this road linked the Languedoc plain to Gevaudan, playing a key role in the transport of minerals (iron, silver, lead), wood, cereals and salt. Its complex layout and extreme wear suggest intensive use despite the absence of major agglomerations nearby.

The 1.45 m spaced rudders may have been initially designed as grooves to guide heavy carts and avoid slippage on the slippery shale, especially in wet weather. The presence of stands on the mountain side indicates several levels of construction, attesting to a very high antiquity. Quartz pieces in little-used ruts reinforce the hypothesis of a road designed for specialized traffic, possibly commercial or mining, essential to the regional economy.

The site, also known as the Coudoulous track, crosses the places called Costenas and Lou Castelas, below the departmental road 35. It joins at the Col de la Croix de Berthel the Draille du Languedoc, a historic axis leading to Mount Lozère. Although its exact traffic remains mysterious, its strategic importance for exchanges between Languedoc and Gevaudan is attested by its careful construction and partial preservation until today.

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