Lumones' Tomb

The greatness of the Roman Empire is engraved in our subconscious, conditioning us to imagine the slightest evidence of the Roman era in monumental terms. Yet this civilization left traces as precious as they were modest, such as this funerary monument, inscribed in the landscape, which bears witness to the Roman presence on the territory some 2000 years ago. Set alongside the Via Julia Augusta, now a major traffic artery, it stands alongside the nearby church of Saint Martin du Cap, built in 1972 to plans by architect Jean Pace. It bears witness to 20th-century church architecture. These compact, reinforced concrete buildings bring the congregation closer to the officiant, and open up views to the outside world. Another way of blending into the landscape on this plateau overlooking the coast, where pines and olive trees grow and where, as is often the case in Roquebrune Cap Martin, different eras and civilizations collide. A fine way to illustrate the expression "all roads lead to Rome".