La grande Corniche - today one of the most popular and beautiful coast roads in Europe, 2000 years ago it was the most important link between Rome and Gaule.
The construction of the Via Julia Augusta - also called Via Aurelia- was made possible after the roman victory over the ancient tribes populating the maritime Alps. By then the on shore connection between Italy and Spain was sustained by the Via Domitia passing by Col de Montgenevre which was located considerably further in the north.
Like in the esterel massif between Cannes and Frejus romans opted here in the Grand Corniche for more than one trail to traverse this delicate terrain between Nice and Menton.
This trail on top of the ridge of the Grand Corniche, and another one in the Vallon de Laghet, a valley in the north of the Grand Corniche, today running next to the modern autoroute a8. Several roman milestones have been found there. There might have been a third one, going along the coast down at the sea.
The vistas are indeed heady on this dizzying road. Between Nice and Menton the pine-forested Alpes drop precipitously to the sea, creating one of the most dramatic and inspiring views in Europe.
In times of peace this trail on top of the ridge 550m above sea level was propably not the main route. But when tavelers had to anticipate attacks of celto-ligurian tribes or raiders it was too unsafe to cross the valley of Laghet in the north.
At La Turbie the lower and upper road merged together and passed over the lowest point of the ridge that runs out from Mont Agel. This was not only a strategic site, it was also the highest point of the main trail of the long Roman road from Italy into Gaul and marked the gateway between Italy and the Roman conquests of Gaul.
The main town up here, La Turbie is notably famous for the Trophy of the Alps, a colossal Roman monument that towers high above the Mediterranean sea.
The Trophy of the Alps was erected in the years 6 to 7 BC in honour of the Emperor Augustus, adopted son of Julius Caesar, to commemorate his victory over 45 celtic and semi-celtic alpine tribes. One of the stones of the tower, which Pliny the Elder transcribed, contained the names of the tribes.
The importance of this Trophy is often underestimated as remains of the local roman history of the grand corniche. But it was not built to celebrate only the victory over the ancient Celto-Ligurian tribes who populated this region and who had harassed merchants along Roman roads. The Celto-Ligurian Tribe who settled in this region, the Vediantii, is not even mentioned in the inscription of the Trophy. It is the conquest of the alps between 25 and 15 BC which this Trophy commemorates. Beginning with the conquest of the western and eastern alps, roman territory was expanded as far as to the river danube at the northern foothills of the alps. For this reason the Trophy of the alps is an important monument for the roman history of nearly all countries and regions bordering the alps.
The Trophy must have been gigantic in its original proportions - and even the truncated ruin dominates the village today and is visible from long distances to the east and west. Only a few of the columns that once circled the colonnade remain today, and the roof, topped probably by a statue of Augustus, is long gone. Its stones were notably used to build the Saint Michel church in La Turbie. Classified as a listed monument in 1865, the edifice was restored at the beginning of the 20th century at the initiative of the then Mayor of the town, Philippe Casimir, and the American multimillionaire Edward Tuck.
The inscription containing the names of the subjected tribes was reconstructed as quoted by pliny the elder. It reads:
To the emperor Caesar, son of the deified Caesar, Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, hailed as Imperator for the 14th time, in his 17th year of tribunician power, the Senate and people of Rome [built this], in commemoration that, under his leadership and auspices, all the Alpine peoples, from the upper sea to the lower sea, were submitted to the Roman Empire. Conquered Alpine peoples:
TRUMPILINI, CAMUNNI, VENNONETES, VENOSTES, ISARCI, BREUNI, GENAUNES, FOCUNATES, FOUR TRIBES VINDELICI, COSUANETES, RUCINATES, LICATES, CATENATES, AMBISONTES,
RUGUSCI, SUANETES, CALUCONES, BRIXENTES, LIPONTES, VIBERI, NANTUATES, SEDUNI, VERAGRI, SALASSI, ACITAVONES, MEDULLI, UCENNI, CATURIGES, BRIGIANI, SOGIONTII,
BRODIONTI, NEMALONI, EDENATES, ESUBIANI, VEAMINI, GALLITAE, TRIULLATI, ECTINI, VERGUNNI, EGUITURI, NEMETURI, ORATELLI, NERUSI, VELAUNI, SUETRI
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Worlds Best Drives A8 / A10 France to Italyby SonicSouvenir3,333 views
very beautiful indeed
nujij10 1 year ago
ive been there it is so nice there i loved it
rennesmecullen98 1 year ago