Comminges during Antiquity

Antiquity in Comminges

Antiquity begins with the invention of writing in Mesopotamia and Egypt, around 3400-3200 BC, until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476.

Comminges was an important territory during this era, as evidenced today by its flagship site, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.

Before the Roman conquest, Comminges was occupied by an Aquitanian people called the Convanae, who were different from the Gaulish Celts. Their territory stretched between the Pyrenees and the Garonne, controlling the passes to the Pyrenees and the Iberian Peninsula, making it a strategic location for trade and travel.

Comminges entered Roman history in the 1st century BC during the conquest of Gaul.
Around 72 BC, the Roman general Pompey founded a city to bring together various local populations and soldiers. This city became Lugdunum Convenarum and later Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges. The city quickly became the political and administrative center of the region.

With the Roman presence, the region underwent a process called Romanization:

• adoption of the Latin language
• spread of Roman institutions
• development of agricultural villas
• construction of roads and infrastructure
• blending of Gaulish and Roman cultures

Numerous Gallo-Roman villas appeared in the Comminges countryside. These were often wealthy agricultural estates, featuring houses, baths, and mosaics.

The Via Garona GR® 861: connected to existing Compostela paths like “Conques-Toulouse,” the “Arles Way,” and the “Piedmont Way,” Via Garona is a 170 km GR® labeled hiking trail that allows you to walk from the center of Toulouse to the village of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in 7 to 12 stages.