via domitia - oppidum enserune - canal du midi - beziers - narbonne - nissan lez-enserune - nimes - languedoc - perpignan - the south of france - domaine de st-eugene

he inhabitants of the Languedoc had to defend their identity quite early in history. Already in the year 560, the Greeks founded the trading port of Agde. About 400 years later, the Romans pushed into the region south of the Rhone and founded the province Narbonensis. In the fifth century A.D. Germanic tribes invaded the region; the Visigoths ruled from Narbonne over the coastal plains and the Roussillon. Two centuries later, the Arabs conquered Narbonne and only after 40 years were pushed out by Pippin I. He integrated the Southern French Mediterranean coast to the Frankish Empire.


	he inhabitants of the Languedoc had to defend their identity quite early in history. Already in the year 560, the Greeks founded the trading port of Agde. About 400 years later, the Romans pushed into the region south of the Rhone and founded the province Narbonensis. In the fifth century A.D. Germanic tribes invaded the region; the Visigoths ruled from Narbonne over the coastal plains and the Roussillon. Two centuries later, the Arabs conquered Narbonne and only after 40 years were pushed out by Pippin I. He integrated the Southern French Mediterranean coast to the Frankish Empire.
	Traces of foreign rulers can be found everywhere in the Languedoc and have left their mark on the face of the land between the small Rhone and the Pyrenees up to this day.

	hen the Romans conquered the Gallic Mediterranean coast, they wanted to enlarge the road network along the coast towards Spain. Gnaius Domitius Ahenbarbus took the project over and gave it his name: Via Domitia.

	he paved road was 250 kilometres long between Beaucaire at the Rhone and the Pyrenees cutting at the Col du Perthus, and laterally limited by erected stone plates, as well as drainage canals and gutters. Mile stones showed the distance to larger towns along the way, like Nimes, Beziers, Narbonne or Treille next to Perpignan. Every 45 kilometres there was a post house providing refreshments for the couriers, every twelve kilometres the horses could be changed.

	he Domaine St. Eugène was such a post house. The property was first mentioned historically in 100 B.C. The present Domaine St. Eugène as a building complex is about 250 years old. The flair of an old post house remains. Horses graze on the meadow in front of the property, the guests relish the wine of Les Trois Tomates and the soul relaxes ... >>>