Via Aurelia

The Via Aurelia or Voie Aurélienne is the name given to large the Roman Voie of the Mediterranean coast of Roman Italy and old Gaulle.

The Via Aurelia was implemented from 241 before J.C by the consul Caïus Aurelius Cotta . It started from Rome, skirted the Western coast of the Italian peninsula and passed by Pisæ /Pisa to arrive at Luna /Luni.

Progressively from the conquests came to be attached sections to it. Thus the Æmilius consul continued the way with part of 109 before J.C. This part of way became the Via Æmilia Scauri . It passed by Genua /Genoa and Vada Sabatia /Vado.

After his victory over the people of the the Alpes-Maritimes, the emperor Auguste continued this road, starting from 13 av. J. - C, Plaisance (Placentia) until Arelate /Arles, on the the Rhone. It will take its name then: the Via Julia Augusta .

Its construction revêt then one of the greattest importances. Hitherto, to join Rome with the Hispanie, there was obligation to pass more to north, by the Col of Montgenèvre, and to borrow then the Via Domitia. The tender of these people will make it possible to shorten the way in time and distance, while passing by more practicable zones, without real traffic jam (few solid masses to be crossed, forests.). Thanks to the Aurélienne Way, Jules César could go from Rome to Arles with his escort in 8 days, to go from Rome in Hispanie with his army in 27 days. The Course publicus (the " poste" Roman) made 70 kilometers per day (with 4 changes of horse).

The route in Italy

In its Italian part, the way passes by Sanremo and Abintimilium /Vintimille. It is the Albium Intermelium Ligures. The Romans called it Albintimilium to simplify. The city was built along the coast and the road passed on the level of the old border post between France and Italy. As of the 4th century, its inhabitants take refuge higher, towards the castrum. There remains of this time only the theater, the remainder of the city being under the current city.

The route in Narbonnese

The Aurelienne Way follows an axis rather easily locatable on a road map. Current roads, as it is often the case, is superimposed or passed near the ancient layout. It is the case of the Large Cornice to the accesses of the Riviera and especially of the RN 7 to Salon of Provence. However, the Aurélienne Way took sometimes parallel ways still well currently materialized. Many vestiges (particularly many milliary columns along the Way) mark out its route and make it possible to delimit it well.

  • Cape Martin.

It is the station of Lumone . One found the vestiges of a Roman mausoleum there. A diverticulum started from Lumone and moved towards Port Hercules (Monaco).

  • Turbie.

The way went up towards Turbie, sits of an old occupation. In 6 before J.C, the Senate Romain decides to build on the hill of Turbie the Trophy of the Alps, to commemorate the victory of Auguste over the last rebellious tribes of the Alps. It is starting from this action that the reinforcement was decided and the restoration of the antique sees which passed to its feet, the Héracléenne way, which went until Vintimille. It will be called from now on Via Julia Augusta.

The monument was at the origin of impressive size: almost 50 m in height and overcome by a statue of the emperor Auguste. Left with the abandonment at the end of the Romain Empire, it will undergo great destruction, will be used as fortress with the Middle Ages before being mined in 1705 to be used as career.

The Aurélienne Way continued until Cemenelum by current Grande cornice.

With the top of the current town of Nice (Nikaïa phocéenne), on the vestiges of the capital of the Ligurians Vediantii , Auguste creates, of 14 before J.C, the town of Cemenelum to make of them the chief town of the the Alps Maritimæ. Today, Cimiez replaced Cemenelum . One can see an abundant Gallo-Roman unit there: thermal units, sewers, shops, domus, amphitheater, basilica and baptistry paléo-Christian. In 43 before J.C, Greek Antipolis is annexed by Rome, with the creation of a Municipe (quoted subjected to the constraints of Rome but controlled by its own laws). It romanize quickly: Triumphal arch, theater, aqueduct…

After Antipolis, the Way follows the layout of the current RN 7 then passes by the way of Malpey and the Tower of Pond, close to the Mount Vinegar.

Forum Julii is a large city at the time Roman. Extending on more than 30 hectares, it counted more than 6000 inhabitants (with amongst other things Agricola and Tacite). The city was probably founded by Jules César towards 49 before J.C. The prosperous commercial city became a wearing of war then, one of most important of the Mediterranean. A channel connected the sea to a large basin. The veterans of VIIIe legion settled there. At the beginning of Christianity, Forum Julii became episcopal see. The vestiges of the Roman epoch are numerous in Fréjus: Thermal baths of Villeneuve, the door of Gaules and ramparts, the amphitheater, the theater, the aqueduct and remainders of the port with the basin, the gilded door and the lantern of Auguste (headlight).

The Way followed then the course of Argens and partly took the current trunk road until the mutatio of Muy and at the station of Forum Voconii /Vidauban (remains of bridge) to arrive to the Luc.

It joined then Matavo /Cabasse, whose occupation is very old. Many vestiges of the Gallo-Roman time were updated there (necropolis and mausoleum).

The Aurélienne Way joined then Brignoles by the current road. One found on his sector some milliary and a Gallo-Roman villa.

  • Turris /Tourves occupied a strategic position and one found there a station and many villæ.

The way circumvented then the current town of Saint-Maximin Holy the Balsam to go towards Pourcieux and Large Pugère. Between these two communes, some stones constitute the remainders of the Trophy of Marius. The Triumphal arch had been set up with the glory of the consul Marius for his victory over the Teutons into 102 before J.C. Via Julia Augusta arrived at Aquæ Sixtiæ by the East. The history of the city is closely related to that of the oppidum close to Entremont. To counter the power of the Ligurians which populated it, Rome destroyed the oppidum after a seat into 123 before J.C. Then, the proconsul Sextius creates a fortress of plain then, close to the thermal springs. He gives his name to the site, " water of Sextius ". The city increases then around the camp, became colony into 15 before J.C and thus sees its economic role growing. At the 3rd century, it will become the administrative capital of the Narbonnese. At the time of the invasions of the 4th century, there does not remain any more city but 17 hectares of the 40 original ones.

Starting from Aix, a junction left towards Marseilles, Vitrolles, Fos and Arles.

The Way passes by the north of Eguilles and moves towards Pisavis /Salon of Provence while following the layout of the current N°17 secondary road (milliary of Aurelia de Caseneuve and Bidoussanne. Pisavis was a station which was at the south of Living room, with the locality Saint Jean de Bernasse where the remainders of a wall are still visible in private property.

It joined Mouriès while crossing the plain of Crau (milliary of the Blackbird and the Creek), to join the Farmhouse of Archimbaud, Paradou and Ernaginum, the current site of Gabriel Saint (the largest road junction of Gaulle Romaine enters Via Aurelia, Via Domitia and Via Clutched). From there the way was grafted which came from Arelate/Arles, distant city of VI miles according to the Table of Peutinger, that is to say approximately 9 km (thousand making 1,481 km).

  • Arelate /Arles is " the " Gallo-Roman city par excellence. It had a strategic role (road crossroads) and economic (the Rhone).

Arelate sees arriving towards 46 before J.C the veterans of the Life legion. Its expansion will quickly be stopped as of the end of the 3rd century with the invasions but the emperor Constantin Ier will give again all his splendor to him by establishing his residence there. Arelate was a chief town of Province, Préfecture of Gaules, had an important monetary workshop. One finds in Arles of many monuments of the Roman epoch: the amphitheater (arenas), the ancient theater, a necropolis (the Alyscamps), the Circus (museum), thermal baths of Constantin, the Forum, ramparts.

With Gabriel Saint, the Aurélienne Way joined the Voie Domitienne which went towards Spain.

Notes and references of the article

See too

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