Aurelian Way


Aurelian Way

The Aurelian Way, running from Rome to Arles, was built during the reign of Aurelius (270-275). Its route took it past Genoa, Cimiez (Nice), Antibes, Fréjus and Aix-en-Provence. Now over 1700 years old, parts of the Aurelian Way are still in use. There's a long section of it just east of Tourtour in the Var. The RN7 (route national) between Aix and Nice follows much of the same route.

This road was over 2.5 m wide, paved, cambered, and put down on a cement base. It used engineering extensively, including many bridges, to take the most direct route rather than following geographic contours.

The Aurelian Way was one of the most important roads in the Roman empire. One of the features of this modern highway was a series of milestones marking each Roman mile (1478 m) along its full distance. (France continues the tradition to this day with its "bornes" (milliaires) that mark the kilometer distances between towns.) Another "modern" feature was raised pavements, or sidewalks, for use by pedestrians and for mounting blocks.


Copyright 1996, Russ Collins