Roman roads in the Bresse
The Roman roads in the Bresse form a very tight network at the transition from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages , which was essentially created during the time of occupation by the Romans . Further refinements were made under the rule of the Merovingians , not least because of the salt trade . The salt pans of Lons-le-Saunier and Salins were used intensively in Gallo-Roman times, and the salt had to be transported to the densely populated settlement areas along the Saônebe transported. For these transport tasks, a road network was necessary that had to cross the Bresse in any case . One particular difficulty was that in the Bresse region there was almost no raw material for road construction, so that in some places a simplified construction method was used. What is striking is the fact that a large number of modern roads follow the old Roman routes.
Roman conquest of Gaul
For a long time the view was widespread that the area of the Bresse was an almost uninhabited area in antiquity, only covered by forests and swamps, without towns and villages and without objects from antiquity. Caesar already praised the area of the Sequani , saying that it was the best of all of Gaul , by which he certainly meant the Bresse, which is still considered one of the most fertile areas of France today. In addition, many places still have Celtic names ( Bouhans , Brenets , Condal , Épervans , Fleyriat , Jouvençon , Lans , Louhans , Ménetreuil , Mervans , Oslon , Savigny , Sens , Verdun ).
At the time of the conquest of Gaul by Caesar, there were hardly any roads; a little later, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa began building four major connecting routes that started from Lyon :
- Via Agrippa : towards the Atlantic via Aquitaine
- Towards the Rhine , via Besançon and today's departments Ain and Jura
- Direction of the English Channel , via Chalon-sur-Saône , Langres and the Champagne
- Via Agrippa : towards the Mediterranean
In fact, none of these major roads ran through the Bresse, but barely a century later, other access roads were built, especially the one from Chalon-sur-Saône to Besançon.
Overview of the Roman roads in the Bresse chalonnaise
Road from Chalon to Besançon via Pourlans
This street is already drawn on the Theodosian map, which was created around 230. It was mistakenly confused by some authors with the one built by Agrippa from Lyon to the Rhine. Based on the archaeological finds that were made along this road, it can be assumed that construction began very early, possibly before the turn of the century. Partly the area was already settled, which the places with Celtic names suggest that the construction of the road was probably in the last 50 years BC. BC, as evidenced by the finds of coins from the time of Julius Caesar and from the early imperial period. The route of this Roman road was largely used by Napoléon in 1811 as the basis for the construction of Route Impériale N ° 91 . It later became Route N ° 73 and has been the D673 since it was downgraded. Only in the area from Pontoux to Clux-Villeneuve does the modern street layout differ from the original. This road was of some importance as it opened up the settlement area of the Sequani , whose capital was Vesontio . The road ran along the Sequan area and allowed Gaius Iulius Vindex to rush to Besançon together with the Sequani in 68 AD and to confront Lucius Verginius Rufus at the battle of Vesontio .
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Laurent, Porte Séquanique | Chalon-sur-Saône | ||||
| 2 | Bridge over Lac des Orlands | Saint-Marcel | 1,350 | Glass figure of Jupiter - Amun on top of a column | D 19 | |
| 3 | Saint-Marcel | Saint-Marcel | 870 | 1805 Grave of a married couple who had become Christians, with images of the symbols of the sacrament of marriage | D 5A | |
| 4th | Allériot | Allériot | 5,850 | Pot with coins from the High Imperial Era of Rome | D 67 | |
| 5 | Bey | Bey | 2,000 | Hill moth , bronze bust of Selene | D 673 | |
| 6th | Damerey | Damerey | 2,675 | D 673 | ||
| 7th | Ciel | Ciel | 6,400 | Moth and graves with bones and weapons | D 673 | |
| 8th | Sermesse | Sermesse | 4,250 | D 673 | ||
| 9 | Pontoux, Ponte Dubris | Pontoux | 3,800 | 1773 when the church was built there were cavities with weapons and bones | D 72 D 673 D 293 | |
| 10 | Charney-lès-Chalon | Charney-lès-Chalon | 1,500 | |||
| 11 | Mont-lès-Seurre | Mont-lès-Seurre | 2,400 | 1838 three tombstones | D 154 | |
| 12 | La Villeneuve | Clux-Villeneuve | 3,800 | Fort in the north | D 503 | |
| 13 | Clux | Clux-Villeneuve | 1,750 | Today's street is still signposted with Vie Romaine . | D 503 | |
| 14th | Les Mares | Pourlans | 2,950 | D 673 | ||
| 15th | Annoire | Annoire | 3.130 | Moth , coin from Marseilles, Roman coin, stone coffins, brick graves, bones, weapons | D 673 | |
| 16 | Beauchemin | Chemin | 2,000 | Moth with stucco sarcophagus with skeleton, iron lance and copper ring, also bones, coins, foundations, iron case with thousands of gold and silver coins from the time of Julius Caesar (58–45 BC) | D 673 | |
| 17th | Chemin | Chemin | 1,800 | Coins Roman Imperial Era | D 673 | |
| 18th | Champdivers | Champdivers | 6,000 | Villangrette: moth with underground rooms and coins - Champdivers: helmets, armor, lances, 1832 six skeletons with grave lamps and saber blades, one with a damascus silver defensive hanger and a movable ring | D 673 | |
| 19th | Tavaux | Tavaux | 3,150 | Bricks, tombstones with inscriptions, temple foundations, fragments of columns, head of a bronze diana, graves with bones and weapons | D 905 | |
| 20th | Saint-Ylie | Dole | 6.225 | milestone | D 673 | |
| 21st | Dole | Dole | 3,600 | |||
| 22nd | Orchamps | Orchamps | 14,150 | D 673 | ||
| 23 | Besançon | Besançon | 31,400 | D 673 | ||
| 88.5 km | Length from Chalon-sur-Saône to Dole | |||||
| 111.0 km | Total length to Besançon |
Road from Verdun-sur-le-Doubs to Poligny
The street was called Vie Ferrée in its western branch , which goes back to the Latin via ferrea and can be interpreted as a solid street . In the area from Saône , Doubs to Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse it appears as Vie gravée , otherwise it is referred to as Voie romaine or Chemin des Romains . The construction time of the road is shortly before the turning point. It is conceivable that the construction of the road began in the Jura region. The course in the area from Sellières to La Chaux-en-Bresse , where it runs straight through the wooded areas, is particularly striking . One reason for the creation may be that the Romans wanted to improve the traffic routes in inner-Gaulish areas in order to facilitate the salt transport from the foot of the Jura, such as Salins-les-Bains . Bellevesvre was an important center and was the intersection of several Roman roads, so that a large number of destinations could be reached from there.
The road was obviously in use for a long time; in the 18th century, rehabilitation work began on it between Sellières and Bellevesvre . The revolution stopped work and it was only resumed under King Louis-Philippe I. This street was later called Départementstraße D1 in the Jura department , which indicates its importance. Gaspard , the author of the source, is critical of the fact that the Saône-et-Loire department has not shown the same cleverness and has also rehabilitated the old route instead of a new connection between Verdun-sur-le-Doubs and Saint- Germain-du-Bois to build. Only a section of 4,662 meters was built to lead the D1 to Bellevesvre (D223).
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Autun | Autun | ||||
| 2 | Saint-Loup-de-la-Salle | Saint-Loup-Gésanges | 55,000 | A hamlet of Milliore points to a milestone where Roman bricks were found | ||
| 3 | Allerey-sur-Saône | Allerey-sur-Saône | 7,300 | Crossing with Via Agrippa from Lyon to Cologne . There is a forest in the commune called Le Défens , which may indicate a defense structure to protect the road. | D 970 | |
| 4th | Cheating | Allerey-sur-Saône | 1,625 | the general staff map 1820–1866 shows a ferry across the Saône . | D 970, Rue du Port | |
| 5 | Verdun | Verdun-sur-le-Doubs | 2.125 | The place exists since Celtic times and was the seat of an archpriest. Many Roman remains have been found. | D 970 | |
| 6th | les Hales | Ciel | 2,000 | Les Hales forest was cleared around 1775. | D 970 | |
| 7th | Les Haies du Loup | Ciel | 2,000 | Here the road crosses the one between Chalon and Besançon | ||
| 8th | Toutenant | Toutenant | 3,625 | The field name north of the street is still called La Vie Gravée today . A burial mound 26.9 meters in diameter and over 2 meters high. | D 115 | |
| 9 | Gontier | Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse | 4,450 | Halfway there was the le Péroux castle (obviously derived from stone ), where the road was still clearly visible in the 19th century. An ancient statuette was found in this area. It joins the second road Chalon-sur-Saône – Besançon . | D 115 | |
| 10 | Saint-Bonnet | Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse | 2,025 | In 1828 and 1832, Roman coins from the High Imperial Era (27 BC – 192) and from Emperor Antonius (238–244), together with a fragment of a protective shield made of copper, covered with a silver ribbon on which an eagle with spread wings and a lightning bolt in its beak. | D 996 D 115 | |
| 11 | Mirebel | Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse | 850 | D 115 | ||
| 12 | La Grande Motte | La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur | 3,700 | D 115 | ||
| 13 | La Chapelle | La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur | 4,050 | |||
| 14th | Chavenne | La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur | 3,475 | There was a very tall moth here, surrounded by ditches, possibly to guard the road | ||
| 15th | Utre | Torpes | 2,925 | |||
| 16 | Bellevesvre | Bellevesvre | 3,750 | At the exit from the city there is a moth called Le Rond | D73 | |
| 17th | Beauvernois | Beauvernois | 6,300 | Moth three meters high, surrounded by a double ditch, a spear and several millstones from hand mills | ||
| 18th | La Chaux | La Chaux-en-Bresse | 3,150 | D 1 | ||
| 19th | verse | Vers-sous-Sellières | 4,050 | D 1 | ||
| 20th | Sellières | Sellières | 2,550 | Roman medals of the high imperial era (27 BC – 192) | D 468 | |
| 21st | Poligny | Poligny | 13,000 | at Chézeau Roman tiles and coins | N 83 | |
| 73.0 km | Length from Allerey-sur-Saône to Poligny | |||||
| 128.0 km | Total length from Autun to Poligny |
Road from Chalon to Besançon via Pierre-de-Bresse
While the existence of the first connection is as good as certain, Édouard Clerc has shown a second connection, which is likely, but only confirmed by finds. It is based on a document from 1280 and the fact that the street is known as Grand Chemin de Dole à Chalon par Longwy, Peseux et Jousserot . Based on the archaeological finds that were made along this road, it can be assumed that construction began very early, possibly before the turn of the century. Partly the area was already settled, which the places with Celtic names suggest, the construction of the road is likely to have taken place in the last 20 years BC. BC, as evidenced by the finds of coins from the time of Julius Caesar and from the early imperial period. The route of this Roman road later became the D13E in the Jura department and the D29 in the Saône-et-Loire department . As far as Terrans , the Roman road forms the route of the D73 department road.
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tavaux | Tavaux | 3,150 | Bricks, tombstones with inscriptions, temple foundations, fragments of columns, head of a bronze diana, graves with bones and weapons | D 905 | |
| 2 | Champdivers | Champdivers | 3,350 | Chemin des Vies | ||
| 3 | Peseux | Peseux | 2,650 | D 13 | ||
| 4th | Longwy | Longwy-sur-le-Doubs | 4,400 | Finds from Roman and Celtic times, cutting stones, bronze axes, building remains, Roman bricks, kitchen utensils made of copper. In 1835 an ore pot with many gold and silver medals was found near the old castle, some from Caesar's time (58-45 BC). In 1840 an oak was found near the Doubs, which was used as a coffin and the opening of which was closed with beechnuts, with the help of a kind of wooden door that was hidden by the upright tree. | D 13 | |
| 5 | Petit noir | Petit noir | 3,280 | Tombs, house foundations, remains of columns, numerous Roman gold and silver coins. One hallway is named Champ de bataille , another Milliaire , possibly because of an ancient milestone. | D13 | |
| 6th | Neublans | Neublans-Abergement | 4,100 | One-piece vases, glass vials, saber blades and stone sarcophagi, with helmets, weapons and bones | D 13E | |
| 7th | Le Châtelet | Pierre-de-Bresse | 4,000 | In the 19th century, traces of the Roman road were still visible in the plain between Neublans and Pierre-de-Bresse | D 29 | |
| 8th | Pierre-de-Bresse | Pierre-de-Bresse | 2,500 | Various traces of Celtic and Roman settlement, stone remains in La Perrière and in Châtelet, Gallic coins, Roman coins from Tiberius to Valentinian II, graves, weapons, bricks, a bronze statuette of Diana, the goddess of hunting, together with numerous coins, wild boar tusks in a white marble suitcase. | D 29 | |
| 9 | Terrans | Pierre-de-Bresse | 3,350 | D 73 | ||
| 10 | Vernes-Guyotte | Charette-Varennes | 3,650 | Road remains were found | D 73 | |
| 11 | Gontier | Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse | 2,750 | Confluence with road III Verdun - Poligny and thus connection with road I Chalon - Besançon | D 73 | |
| 37.2 km |
Road from Louhans via Bellevesvre to Tavaux
Courtépée described this road as coming from Auxonne , with the destination Châteaurenaud , which at that time was more important than Louhans . Distinctive points on the road are the Étalet bridge , which was obviously an important passage over the Brenne , and Bellevesvre , the largest road junction in the Bresse . The construction time of the road is likely to be in the first century, as can be deduced from the coin finds.
This road is partially replaced by the department road D23 Louhans according Bellevesvre and department road D468 of Deschaux according Bellevesvre. The road layout was not taken over directly by the modern roads, but new routes were created.
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Châteaurenaud | Louhans | ||||
| 2 | Les Brenets | Louhans | 0 | Louhans has a Celtic name, Lovincum. Roman coins were found, a lararium consisting of a copper-decorated iron case containing small bronze statuettes; A port existed before the 12th century, and several Roman roads converged here. About 2 kilometers north of the city is Les Brenets (Latin Bronaycum). Rubble from Roman buildings was found here, a burial chamber, remains of a stone column, helmets, swords, pikes, etc. There are remains of a bridge over the Seille and a neighboring field is called Pré du Port . The road led from Château-Renaud , which was more important than Louhans at the time, to Les Brenets . | ||
| 3 | Vincelles | Vincelles (Saône-et-Loire) | 2,675 | Around 1800 pavement still visible in the village center | D 13 | |
| 4th | Saint-Usuge | Saint-Usuge | 2,600 | Still visible around 1800 in the village center | D 13 | |
| 5 | Charangeroux | Saint-Usuge | 2,200 | Still visible around 1800 | D 13 | |
| 6th | Condé | Sens-sur-Seille | 5,025 | |||
| 7th | Pont de l'Estalet | Sens-sur-Seille | 4,050 | |||
| 8th | Le Deffait | Le Planois | 4,250 | There may have been a protective fortress here | ||
| 9 | Le Planois | Le Planois | 1,950 | |||
| 10 | Romette | Chapelle-Voland | 2,375 | |||
| 11 | Bourg | Bellevesvre | 4,825 | D 13 | ||
| 12 | La Motte | Bellevesvre | 1,275 | |||
| 13 | Dissey | Mouthier-en-Bresse | 1,300 | roman coins, weapons and other objects | ||
| 14th | Taignevaux | Les Essards-Taignevaux | 5,450 | the road was in 1575 as a Grand Chemin d'à Etaignevaux Bellevesvre referred | ||
| 15th | Le Poisel | Les Essards-Taignevaux | 1,753 | 1822 Coins of the high (27 BC - 284/285) and low imperial periods are found | ||
| 16 | Montalègre | Asnans-Beauvoisin | 4,800 | Gallic and Roman finds, isolated tumuli that have been leveled today, inside a bronze ax and various cutting stones. A mound of earth surrounded by ditches, 4 meters high, with an elliptical platform measuring 20 by 30 meters. The street is called Chemin des Fées here, bricks and coins from Vespasian (69–79) and Philip (244–249) were found | ||
| 17th | Chaussin | Chaussin | 2675 | 1838 six skeletons with iron rings on their fingers and a knife on the side. Sarcophagi with human bones, an ash urn, aqueducts and three mosaics. | ||
| 18th | Saint-Baraing | Saint-Baraing | 2,200 | |||
| 19th | le Port Aubert | Rahon | 3,700 | A document from 1160 named the crossing as Pont-Aubert , in the 19th century there was a ferry. The road between Langres and Geneva also crossed the river here. | ||
| 20th | Molay | Molay | 1,025 | |||
| 21st | Tavaux | Tavaux | 1,750 | |||
| 55.9 km |
Road from Louhans to Cousance
This road connected Louhans with Cousance, or rather with the ancient Roman settlement of Cuisia . Allegedly it continued from there via Cuisia, Rosay , Cressia , Moutonne and Orgelet to finally lead towards Geneva . In Balme , remnants of this street were allegedly to be seen at the end of the 19th century. Nothing is known about the crossing over the Vallière south of Louhans. A bridge presumably once existed, but the river was crossed by boats or ferries in the mid-19th century.
Based on the finds, the construction time of the street should be set at the beginning of the 3rd century. Today the Römerstraße is replaced by the Départementsstraße D972 to Le Miroir . King Guntram I used this road when he returned from Agaune to Chalon in 585 .
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louhans | Louhans | ||||
| 2 | Faubourg des Bordes | Louhans | 1,625 | D 996 | ||
| 3 | La Vallière | Louhans | 775 | D 996 | ||
| 4th | Bois Parpillon | Bruailles | 2,875 | D 996 | ||
| 5 | La Barre | Sainte-Croix | 1,900 | D 996 | ||
| 6th | La Balme | Sainte-Croix | 1,325 | |||
| 7th | Bione | Front aud | 800 | |||
| 8th | Safre | Front aud | 1,250 | |||
| 9 | Front aud | Front aud | 1,750 | |||
| 10 | Les Essarts | Front aud | 1,150 | A stretch of road is described around 1850: about 30 centimeters high, 6 to 8 meters wide, a paving of almost 15 centimeters made of small limestone, yellowish, reddish, pitted | ||
| 11 | L'Étang du Bief | Front aud | 1,250 | |||
| 12 | Milleure | Le Miroir | 650 | Milleure had many ruins, several hectares on both sides of the road; everything indicated that there was a village or small town here that was destroyed by fire. Roman bricks, molten lead, a coin from Caracallus (211-217), a gold button, a small dog made of cement were found. | D 972 | |
| 13 | Le Miroir | Le Miroir | 1,550 | D 972 | ||
| 14th | Flériat | Le Miroir | 2,300 | an important Gallo-Roman settlement, like Morisia and Raffourgs, is covered with rubble, stones and bricks. Coffins made of brick with human bones and covered with lava, old armor and consular and imperial coins were found | ||
| 15th | Cousance | Cousance | 2,275 | Villa with vivarium, as well as coins from Licinius (308–324) and Konstantin (306–337) | ||
| 16 | Cuisia | Cuisia | 1,075 | |||
| 22.5 km |
Road from Chalon-sur-Saône via Louhans to Lons-le-Saunier
This was the Roman road that crossed the Bresse from east to west and connected Chalon-sur-Saône with Louhans and Lons-le-Saunier and possibly extended to Nyon and Geneva. It was still in use in 1518, in the municipality of Saint-Étienne-en-Bresse under the name Grand Chemin de Chalon à Louhans . Based on the finds (coins from Faustinus) and the fact that the road was no longer built according to the valid standards (see note under 8 Putigny), it can be assumed that the building was built relatively late, probably in the 3rd century.
As a result of the rather poor quality of the structure, it was not necessary to adopt modern connections to the same extent as was the case for the road from Chalon to Besançon. In part, the route impériale 96 followed the route of the Roman road. In 1824 it became the national road N78 . Today the road is classified lower and is referred to as Départementstraße D678.
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Marcel | Saint-Marcel | 875 | 1805 Grave of a married couple who had become Christians, with images of the symbols of the sacrament of marriage | D 5A | |
| 2 | Épervans | Épervans | 2,400 | Épervans is of Celtic origin, the Roman road is mentioned in a document from 1090. There was a moth to protect the road. | D 978 | |
| 3 | Bas d'Ouroux | Ouroux | 5,650 | The road was called Vie de Saint-Marceau , on the Saône there was a port and a ferry, and at times also a customs post. Edged tiles, Gallic and Roman coins were found | D 978 | |
| 4th | Saint Germain | Saint-Germain-du-Plain | 3,450 | 1852 Bishop Jamblichus' grave slab is found ; † around 470. | D 978 | |
| 5 | Grand Limon | Saint-Germain-du-Plain | 3,400 | D 978 | ||
| 6th | Saint-Etienne | Saint-Etienne-en-Bresse | 1,900 | D 978 | ||
| 7th | Les Chaillots | Saint-Etienne-en-Bresse | 1,150 | Rubble from bricks and bricks, stone vessel that resembles a baptismal font, which suggests that the village church was once located here | D 162 D 286 | |
| 8th | Putigny | Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse | 4,625 | In the middle of the 19th century the road was still visible in the vast forest areas and was described by Gaspard as follows: It is 15 to 16 meters wide, cambered and raised 60 to 80 centimeters above the ground. It is covered with 30 to 40 centimeters with humus and then with 10 to 12 centimeters of pebbles. The usual substructure was not found, consisting of statumen, rudus and nucleus ( construction of the Roman road ). This peculiarity is probably due to the fact that the Bresse consists largely of alluvial land and there are actually no stones. Around 1800 Grivaud de la Vincelle (1762-1819) found a bronze figurine or statuette depicting a Gaulish or Germanic prisoner, naked, hands tied behind his back, with a flowing beard, bristly hair, grim face, full of hatred and Anger trying to get rid of his bonds. Coins from the high imperial era (27 BC – 284/285), millstones from hand mills, cutting weapons, curbs, horseshoes, a clay amphora, the remains of numerous houses, Roman bricks, etc. were found in the near and far Motte, surrounded by two concentric trenches and in the gable facade of the church is a figure of Janus with two heads as a stone relief. | ||
| 9 | Vèvre | Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse | 825 | |||
| 10 | Charmoissy | Montret | 1,850 | Epee with two blades | ||
| 11 | La Gauberge | Branges | 2,150 | 1846 at Etang Guyon a gold Écu of Henri II as Dauphin of François I , he is making is that the road in the 16th century was still in use. | ||
| 12 | Branges | Branges | 6,350 | |||
| 13 | Les Brenets | Louhans | 1,800 | Louhans has a Celtic name, Lovincum. Roman coins were found, a lararium consisting of a copper-decorated iron case containing small bronze statuettes; A port existed before the 12th century, and several Roman roads converged here. About 2 kilometers north of the city is Brenets (Latin Bronaycum). Rubble from Roman buildings was found here, a burial chamber, remains of a stone column, helmets, swords, pikes, etc. There are remains of a bridge over the Seille and a neighboring field is called Pré du Port . It can be assumed that the road from Chalon-sur-Saône crossed the Seille in Brenets and only one branch led to Louhans . So it led directly to Château-Renaud , which was more important than Louhans at the time. There are also countless finds there. | D 978 | |
| 14th | Châteaurenaud | Louhans | 2,575 | |||
| 15th | Aux Gruyères | Louhans | 1,625 | D 678 | ||
| 16 | rat | rat | 4,525 | D 678 | ||
| 17th | Le Pontot | Le Fay | 2,350 | D 678 | ||
| 18th | Bourg de Savigny | Savigny-en-Revermont | 7,700 | When the Étang des Clayes dried up in 1760 , the remains of the cobbled Roman road were found. | D 30 | |
| 19th | Condamine | Condamine | 2,375 | by the roadside, ruins of a large number of houses with lots of bricks and other finds; | D 306 | |
| 20th | Nilly | Courlaoux | 1,650 | a medal from Faustinus (273/274) | D 20 | |
| 21st | Les teppes | Courlaoux | 1,875 | near the castle a plate with figures from a weir hangar, significantly older than from the feudal era and in Châtillon a protective castle for the street | D 20 | |
| 22nd | Courlans | Courlans | 2,400 | the street is called Vie de Lion, Rue des Mulets, a hamlet is called en Perrée, various armor, swords, graves, and Roman medals were found | D 678 | |
| 23 | Montomorot | Montmorot | 3,300 | Ruins of a palace or stately villa, fragments of columns, mosaics, marble tiles, brick Roman inscriptions, coins of the high (27 BC – 284/285) and low imperial periods, a statuette of Diana, a goldsmith's scratching brush (gratte-bosse) with fine brass bristles, bronze corners and spoons, figurines, aqueduct tubes made of terracotta, water jugs, axes made of jade. A Greek gold coin from Philip, King of Macedonia, was found at another site in the community. | F 678 | |
| 24 | Lons-le-Saunier | Lons-le-Saunier | 1,000 | The excavations in Lons at depths of 4, 5 and 7 meters uncovered the ruins of a rather large city, burned down and destroyed in the middle of the 4th century. Rubble, Roman bricks, fragments of columns, cinder urns, graves with weapons next to the skeletons, millstones from hand mills, vases made of Terra Campana, tripod made of bronze, statuette of a faun made of red copper, consular and imperial coins made of gold or bronze, from Augustus (27 BC) BC – 14 AD), Nero (54–68), Hadrian (117–138), Maximian (286–305) and Constantine (306–337). The Celtic Ledon with its salt pans was dependent on roads to bring the salt into trade. | D 678 | |
| 67.8 km |
Road from Lons-le-Saunier to Chalon-sur-Saône over the bridge of L'Étalet
Some historians mention a Roman road that led from Chalon-sur-Saône to Lons-le-Saunier , over the L'Étalet bridge . It is said to have reached Montmorot via Le Tartre , Nance , Bletterans and Villevieux . The existence of this road from Chalon to L'Étalet bridge seems doubtful, as M. Gaspard states. The current road was built in 1777, the author followed the road on its western branch, but without encountering traces of a Roman road or encountering hamlets or corridors with names that indicate the existence of a road or Roman settlements. Nor are there any known archaeological finds from the area through which the road would have passed.
On the other hand, the east branch of the road is almost safe, it has been mentioned as Vie Renaud, Grande Vie, Voie de Lion, Grande Charrière, Grand Chemin de Chalon, Grand Chemin de Lons-le-Saunier . It can be assumed that the road led to the bridge in L'Étalet, and that the routes to the south, north or west were given. The road was probably built in the middle of the 3rd century. The Römerstraße was replaced in modern times by the Départementsstraße D970.
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villevieux | Villevieux | 0 | |||
| 2 | Nance | Nance | 3,225 | In Nance, the farmers still need the road as an access road to the fields. Roman coins from Emperor Philip (244–249), as well as consular coins, as well as strips, tiles, granite slabs, amphorae, urns, pottery shards, bronze fragments | ||
| 3 | Cosges | Cosges | 1,675 | |||
| 4th | Moulin de Jousseau | Cosges | 2,075 | |||
| 5 | Le Tartre | Le Tartre | 1,825 | Bronze group consisting of a Diana with three dogs | ||
| 6th | Gommerand | Le Tartre | 850 | |||
| 7th | Sens | Sens-sur-Seille | 2,925 | |||
| 8th | L'Étalet bridge | 2,000 | D 970 | |||
| 9 | Saint-Germain-du-Bois | Saint-Germain-du-Bois | 3,800 | D 970 | ||
| 18.4 km |
Road from Bellevesvre to Lons-le-Saunier
Allegedly the street in the area of Montmorot and Lons-le-Saunier was called Vie de Lion , which is said to be related to the old name of Lons (Ledo salinarius). Based on the finds, it can be assumed that the road was built after the turn of the ages, more likely in the third or fourth century. One reason for the creation may be that the Romans wanted to improve the traffic routes in inner-Gaulish areas in order to facilitate the salt transport from Lons-le-Saunier. Bellevesvre was an important center and was the intersection of several Roman roads, so that a large number of destinations could be reached from there.
The street was obviously in use for a long time, it was later rehabilitated and designated as N ° 2 in 1813. Later it formed part of the RN 470 , today it is called D122
| section | hamlet | local community | Distance in meters | Finds | Today N ° | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bourg | Bellevesvre | ||||
| 2 | Vaivre | Chapelle-Voland | 2,400 | Gold and silver coins of the High (27 BC – 284/285) and Low Imperial Era, especially of Emperor Valentinian III. (425-455). Two moths with ditches, possibly forts . | D 73 | |
| 3 | Bois de Vallière | Relans | 8,150 | Traces of a great fire, numerous finds in 1847, including a bronze candelabra with three arms | D 73 | |
| 4th | Bletterans | Bletterans | 2,500 | D 73 | ||
| 5 | Bourg | Villevieux | 1,650 | D 470 | ||
| 6th | Le Gravier | Larnaud | 2,300 | D 470 | ||
| 7th | Montmorot | Montmorot | 5,625 | Ruins of a palace or stately villa, fragments of columns, mosaics, marble tiles, brick Roman inscriptions, coins of the high (27 BC – 284/285) and low imperial periods, a statuette of Diana, a goldsmith's scratching brush (gratte-bosse) with fine brass bristles, bronze corners and spoons, figurines, aqueduct tubes made of terracotta, water jugs, axes made of jade. A Greek gold coin from Philip, King of Macedonia, was found at another site in the community. | ||
| 8th | Lons-le-Saunier | Lons-le-Saunier | 2,500 | The excavations in Lons at depths of 4, 5 and 7 meters uncovered the ruins of a rather large city, burned down and destroyed in the middle of the 4th century. Rubble, Roman bricks, fragments of columns, cinder urns, graves with weapons next to the skeletons, millstones from hand mills, vases made of Terra Campana, tripod made of bronze, statuette of a faun made of red copper, consular and imperial coins made of gold or bronze, from Augustus (27 BC) BC – 14 AD), Nero (54–68), Hadrian (117–138), Maximian (286–305) and Constantine (306–337). | ||
| 25.1 km |
Branches or unsafe roads
Road from Louhans to Tournus
It is believed that a Roman road led from Louhans to Tournus, two Celtic cities. But no remains have been found to this day, it was replaced by the D971 département road. It would have been around 27 kilometers long. Archaeological finds were made in Sornay and Bantanges , Jouvençon certainly goes back to a Celtic settlement, which makes the existence of this road plausible.
Road from Louhans to Romenay
It is similar with the road from Louhans to Romenay , a small town with a significant name. One can still find remains in Montpont with the local tradition that this road was the work of the Romans. Today it is replaced by the Départementsstraße D12. During the creation in 1837, coins from Faustinus were found in La Chapelle-Naude , a place with a Celtic name and a hamlet called Citadelle . It would have been about 19.4 kilometers long. The coin finds suggest that it was built at the end of the 3rd century.
Road from Louhans via Pierre-de-Bresse to Tavaux
In addition to the Roman road from Louhans to Bellevesvre, there was another one from Louhans to Pierre-de-Bresse, which continued there to Tavaux. There is no information about the detailed street layout or about archaeological finds. The course of this road is typical of the Roman technique of road construction. The places that are crossed often have Gallo-Roman names (Vincelles, Saint-Germain-du-Bois, Bouhans, La Chaux, La Balme), which indicates that the road was settled. Another argument in favor of this road layout is the fact that not a single large body of water has to be crossed on the entire route.
Today the road has been replaced by the D13 département road from Louhans via Saint-Germain-du-Bois to Pierre-de-Bresse. According to this description, the road would have been about 22.8 kilometers long.
Branch from Saint-Marcel to Lux
An unpaved road, only made of earth, about a meter high, led directly from Saint-Marcel to Port-Guillot on the Saône and from there to Lux . It can be assumed that it is a Roman or Celtic building. There are no known archaeological finds along this road, nor is it known exactly for what purpose the road was built and where it actually led. Port-Guillot has neither a ferry nor a bridge, nothing is delivered, there was only one house and is only known because of a story from 1634 between King Louis XIII and the peasant woman of Port-Guillot. Lux is a meaningless place, its name goes back to lucus (not lux = light), a consecrated grove (like Saint-Emilan-de-Luc and Luc in the Dauphiné). The road is 4.125 kilometers long in the form described.
Branch from Charnay-lès-Chalon to Saunières
One finds traces of a Roman road from Charney-lès-Chalon to the south to a bridge over the Doubs in Saunières , opposite Sermesse , where today there is neither a port nor a ferry. Possibly it continued to Verdun-sur-le-Doubs with the south branch and to Seurre with the north branch. Thus there would have been two bridges over the Doubs within a short distance , one in Saunières and one in Pontoux . Cassini shows the road with a bridge to Sermesse, while the General Staff Map 1820–1866 shows no bridge, but shows a ferry in the north of the settlement.
No documents indicate a bridge in Charnay , although various remains of Celtic and Roman origin have been found. Only on the west side of the river, across from Chazelles , a hamlet of Mont-lès-Seurre , is there a field name Deffoy , a name that could indicate a fortress guarding a bridge or a ferry. The length of the road described in this way is 4.675 kilometers.
Branch from Pierre-de-Bresse via Fretterans to Annoire or via Lays-sur-le-Doubs to Pourlans
In Fretterans there was allegedly a road that crossed the Doubs . When the water level was low, the remains of the foundations were still visible in the 19th century. This section must have been a branch that linked Pierre-de-Bresse with Annoire . In the other direction, a road ran from Terrans to Lays-sur-le-Doubs , where the Doubs was crossed to get to Pourlans , Longepierre or Clux-Villeneuve . The exact location of these branches of the street is indefinite.
It is very likely that there was a road from Pierre-de-Bresse via Fretterans to Pourlans , it would have been 9.7 kilometers long. A crossing at Annoire over the Doubs is very unlikely, however, considering how uncontrollable the river is in this area today.
Branch from Villevieux to Louhans
Another connection existed under the name Chemin de Montceau or Rue des Aiguis , which led from Villevieux to Louhans . Gaspard describes its course as starting from Villevieux, via Larnaud , Nance , Frangy-en-Bresse , Saillenard , Le Fay to Ratte , where it flowed into the Louhans-Lons road . The course between Villevieux to Frangy coincides with the course of the Lons – L'Étalet road and it can be assumed that there was only one further north-south connection between these two roads. That she touched Larnaud can be ruled out. The additional section described would have been around 22 kilometers long.
Branch from Ouroux to La Colonne
This branch of the road has a length of 7.5 kilometers. In Velars , a hamlet of Ouroux-sur-Saône, the road branched off, crossed the plains of Saint-Germain-du-Plain and Thorey and went to the port of La Colonne on the Saône . It was a road made of rammed earth and covered with gravel, about 1.2 meters high and 12 to 14 meters wide, it was called Le Mur . It was designed so that it would not get submerged in floods. It crossed the Saône over a bridge at La Colonne , emptied into another Roman road and crossed the Agrippin road between Lyon and Boulogne , which connected it to Sens-en-Bourgogne at Sennecey-le-Grand . Many antiques were found there.
Possibly it extended from La Colonne even further south and crossed the river at Ormes over another bridge and ended in La Levée des Romains , between the places Gigny-sur-Saône and Boyer in the Agrippinische road.
In any case, it passed through places that were inhabited in Gallo-Roman times. In fact, La Colonne got its name from a landmark. In Noiry , a hamlet of Ormes , is Châtelet , where there was not only a fortress to protect the road and the port, but also a considerable Roman villa. Large and beautiful fragments, fragments of columns, marble slabs, Roman bricks, coins from Alexander Severus (222–235) and Faustinus (273–274) were found. In addition, mosaic floors were found in Noiry and Sens , hamlets of Sennecey-le-Grand . A piece of a bronze crocodile was found in Thorey .
Branch from Chapelle-Voland to Arlay
The exact course of the branch described here can no longer be determined. It is questionable whether it actually belonged to the original Roman road network. Allegedly it branched off to the east between Bellevesvre and Chapelle-Voland , a hamlet near Maures and Étang . It passed the southwest of Commenailles and came to Vincent . From there it moved further southeast until it reached the town of Arlay in Saint Vincent . She crossed the Roman road between Lons-le-Saunier and Besançon .
In all these places finds were made, in Commenailles bricks, remains of the street, Gallic and Greek coins. A cement sarcophagus containing a human skeleton was discovered in Vincent , along with coins from Antony (238–244). In Arlay and its Vorot Saint-Vincent innumerable Gallo-Roman finds, bricks, Gallic, Greek, Roman coins, mosaics, fragments of columns, vases, sarcophagi, statuettes, inscriptions. The road as described would have been around 13 kilometers long.
| Objects | Locations |
|---|---|
| Pirogue in the Seille | Bantanges , found 1847 |
| Jade axes | Ratenelle , La Truchère |
| Gallic medals or coins | Charnay , Pierre-de-Bresse , Ouroux |
| Ruins and components of temples, public and private buildings, foundations, fragments of columns, cornices, polished marble, mosaics, paved streets | Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Milleure , Ormes , Préty , Sornay |
| Bridge abutment | Brenets over the Seille , Pontoux over the Doubs , Ormes over the Saône |
| Weapons of all kinds, swords, daggers, spears, arrow and lance tips, shields | Beauvernois , Bellevesvre , Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse , Brenets , Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Saint-Étienne , Louhans , Montret , Pierre-de-Bresse , Préty , La Truchère , Verdun-sur-le-Doubs |
| Millstones from hand mills | Beauvernois , Châteaurenaud , Préty , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| Various utensils such as knives, scissors, cooking and copper kettles, bracelets and necklaces, fibulas, horseshoes | Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| Roman medals made of gold, silver and bronze from the High Imperial Era and Late Antiquity | Allériot , Saint-Bonnet-en-Bresse , La Chapelle-Naude , Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Cuiseaux , Saint-Germain-du-Plain , Louhans , Milleure , Ouroux-sur-Saône , Pierre-de-Bresse , Verdun-sur-le -Doubs , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| Latin inscriptions | Châteaurenaud |
| antique vases made of bronze, clay and glass | Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Ouroux-sur-Saône , Verdun-sur-le-Doubs , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| A lararium consisting of a copper-decorated iron case containing small bronze statuettes of Mars , Pallas Athene and Hercules | Louhans |
| Bronze statuettes and figures | Bey (Saône-et-Loire) , Châteaurenaud , Louhans , Pierre-de-Bresse , Le Tartre , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| A silver-studded, three-horned bronze animal | Châteaurenaud |
| Lump of lead and molten glass | Châteaurenaud , Milleure |
| A stone figure, tombstone for a couple from the first years of Christianity | Saint-Marcel |
| A trough-shaped sarcophagus made from one piece of stone | at the Abbaye-des-Barres monastery near Saint-Christophe-en-Bresse |
| Funerary urns | Brenets , Châteaurenaud , Verdun-sur-le-Doubs |
| A burial chamber, floor and vault made of brick, in which a large number of ash urns were stored | Brenets |
| Burial mound | Loisy , Simandre , La Truchère |
| Graves | Pierre-de-Bresse |
| Romanesque bricks and bricks | in almost all municipalities of Bresse, especially in Charnay , Châteaurenaud , Saint-Étienne , La Frette , Milleure , Montret , Ormes , Ouroux-sur-Saône , Pierre-de-Bresse , Simard , Sornay (Saône-et-Loire) , Vérissey , Vincelles (Saône-et-Loire) , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
| Mounds of earth, criss-crossed with two or three concentric ditches and moats, which served as protection and retreat during the Roman occupation | Beauvernois , La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur , Ciel , Lessard-en-Bresse , La Madeleine-de-Saint-Martin , La Vernotte-de-Verissey , La Villeneuve , Saint-Vincent-en-Bresse |
Individual evidence
- ↑ De bello gallico, book 1, chapter XXXI: agri Sequani, qui esset optimus totius Galliae . Retrieved February 11, 2015 .
- ↑ Table Théodosienne called Tabula Peutingeriana. Retrieved February 11, 2015 .
- ↑ Départementsstraßed D673. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015 (French).
- ^ Départementsstrasse D1. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015 .
- ↑ Édouard Clerc: La Franche-Comté à l'époque romaine, représentée par ses ruines, page 107 ff.Bintot, 1847, p. 164 , accessed on February 11, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Departmental Road D 73. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 12, 2015 .
- ↑ Note on a statuette de bronze, trouvée à Pierre-de-Bresse. Mémoires de la Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Chalon-sur-Saône. 1846, accessed February 12, 2015 (French).
- ^ Department road D23. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 18, 2015 .
- ↑ Department road D468. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 18, 2015 .
- ^ Department road D972. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 23, 2015 .
- ^ Department road D678. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 16, 2015 .
- ↑ Grivaud de La Vincelle, Claude Madeleine: bronze statuette of a Roman prisoner. in Recueil de monumens antiques, la plupart inédits, et découverts dans l'ancienne Gaule. Treuttel et Würtz, Paris, 1817, accessed February 16, 2015 .
- ^ Department road D970. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 21, 2015 .
- ^ Départementsstrasse D122. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015 .
- ↑ department road D071. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015 (French).
- ^ Department road D12. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015 (French).
- ^ Department road D13. on routes.wikia.com. Retrieved February 19, 2015 .
- ↑ Eusèbe Girault de Saint-Fargeau: The story of Louis XIII and the peasant woman. in Guide pittoresque du voyageur en France. Retrieved February 12, 2015 (French).
- ^ Paul Canat: Notice sur les pavés-mosaïques trouvés à Sans et à Noiry. in Mémoires , Volume 3, Part 2, the Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Chalon-sur-Saône. P. 129 , accessed February 17, 2015 .
swell
- M. Gaspard: Mémoire sur les Routes Romaines de la Bresse Chalonnaise . in Mémoires , Volume 3, Part 2, page 305 ff. of the Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Chalon-sur-Saône. 1857, accessed February 12, 2015 (French).