A short 10-page article on the Roman road known as the Via Julia Augusta, which ran through Vence. Originally published in 1877 in the Annales de la Société des Lettres, Sciences & Arts des Alpes-Maritimes.
This article by Edmond Blanc, originally published in 1877 in the Annales de la Société des Lettres, Sciences & Arts des Alpes-Maritimes (Annals of the Society of Letters, Sciences and Arts of the Alpes-Maritimes), is a detailed historical study of the western portion of the Roman road known as the Via Julia Augusta. Blanc focuses his research and writing on the section of the road that ran from the Roman town of Cemenelum (now known as Cimiez), crossed the Var River near Gattières, passed through Vintium (Vence), and then continued on through Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Opio, Mouans-Sartoux, Auribeau-sur-Siagne, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, and eventually Fréjus.
Blanc examines various literary sources, such as Polybius and Caesar, alongside archaeological observations and local topography to reconstruct the probable route of the Via Julia Augusta through the region. He explores how the road connected coastal settlements such as Cemenelum and Antipolis (Antibes) with the interior, and he considers the strategic importance of the Var valley and surrounding hill settlements. Throughout the article, Blanc attempts to reconcile ancient texts with physical traces on the ground, proposing alignments and branches of the road that would have linked Vintium to other Roman centers.
The study reflects the style of nineteenth-century historians, combining close analysis of old texts with visits to the site and a strong interest in local history. Blanc discusses inscriptions, milestones, and place names, suggesting how Roman administrative and military movements shaped the landscape of the Alpes-Maritimes. His article situates Vence not as an isolated hill town, but as a settlement integrated into a wider Roman communications network extending toward Italy and Narbonensis.
Although some of Blanc’s conclusions have since been revised, this piece remains an important early contribution to the historical understanding of the Via Julia Augusta in southeastern France and continues to be cited in research on the Roman past of Vence and its surroundings.
Edmond Blanc was a 19th-century French scholar and historian active within the learned societies of the Alpes-Maritimes, remembered locally for his meticulous research into the ancient past of eastern Provence. A prolific author, he published studies on the Roman road network of the region, local antiquities, and aspects of medieval history. He also produced works devoted to the history of Vence and neighboring towns, as well as broader investigations of Ligurian and Roman remains in southeastern France. Blanc’s scholarship reflects the intellectual spirit of his era—careful, source-driven, and grounded in both classical texts and close observation of the landscape. His writings remain an important early contribution to the historical study of Vence and its surrounding region.
The Annales de la Société des Lettres, Sciences et Arts des Alpes-Maritimes was the annual yearbook of a learned society founded in Nice in the mid-nineteenth century to promote research and culture in the Alpes-Maritimes. Published from 1865 until the early 1970s, the Annales contain scholarly articles and reports on regional history, archaeology, literature, science, and the arts, and remain an important source for nineteenth- and early twentieth-century research, with many volumes now digitized. Although regular publication ceased decades ago, the Société remains active today, organizing lectures, conferences, and cultural events while maintaining a specialist library that continues to support historical and scholarly work in the region.
This article was also published as a small stand-alone book the same year by Malvano & Company, a small publishing house located in Nice. It was recently republished by an unnamed publisher specializing in reproducing works now in the public domain.
Original copies of both the Annals and book versions of this article are hard to find nowadays. I downloaded a copy of the Annals version from Google. I have translated this article into English and provided an annotated version here with almost 150 notes on the various people, places, and things Blanc discusses. Using the links below, you can download a copy of the original article or my English translation.
You can read an in-depth account of Vence in Roman times in this article: From Vintium to Vence – Exploring the Ancient Roman Roots of Modern Day Vence.
You can read an in-depth account of the Roman artifacts still found in Vence (including milestones from Roman Roads) in this article: Uncovering Vence’s Roman Legacy – Exploring the Roman Artifacts of Vintium.
You can read an in-depth account of the Via Julia Augusta from Menton to La Turbie in this article: La Via Julia Augusta – The Ancient Roman Road Connecting Italy With Southern France
Download a high-quality PDF reproduction of the original article in French (1mb)
Download a high-quality PDF reproduction of the annotated English translation of this article (1mb)
[click on any image to see sample pages of the original and English versions]
