Provincia Gallia - Archives - Homepage - Jul08 - (Nova Roma)

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in French, Dutch and Latin, just by clicking on one of the words corresponding to the following current national flags/versions (France, Netherlands, Nova Roma):

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Salvete Galli!

July has begun with its first summer activities, its new family events.

I had the opportunity, at the end of June, visiting a few Roman spots in Regio Narbonensis. I have been lucky enough to have time to visit La Turbie, when the crowds of tourists have not yet reached the shores of Mare Nostrum.

La Turbie is a lovely living village which looks down on Monaco, 6kms below, its high buildings and its yachts. It is here that Augustus has built his Trophy"to celebrate his definitive victory over the ancient Celto-Ligurian tribes who populated the region and who had harassed merchants along Roman roads.".

In the quietness of a beautiful morning, under a blue pure sky, the Via Augusta antiqua was already enjoying a hot sun and the song of crickets. Walking on its parts which have been preserved in the old streets of La Turbie, or standing on the hot and full of flavors terrace above Monte Carlo, I could realize how Caesar's nephew has well chosen this place to build his 35 m high monument. For there are just two direct roads who come from Italia to Gallia: the one along the shore, and the other one, above, which would take this path, this col between the hills, just here, where the Trophy is now standing.

Like in Pagnol or Giono, three old women were speaking, lively, around a bench, in the shadow, mixing French and Provencal, before the inscription "Huc usque Italia ab hinc Gallia". When I read the marble, they asked me if I knew what did the inscriptio mean. I told them, and I saw a light, in their eyes, that was saying that they were feeling as proud of their village than happy that people could still read Latin.

And, beside the visit itself of this wonderful site, this glance and this discussion stay alive in my mind, as reinforce me in the conviction that we must keep on increasing our knowledge of our countries, and of what Rome and the ancient civilizations, that they lived there, have brought to us, and made us what we are.

P. Memmius Albucius