N7 road (France)

The Route nationale 7, or RN 7, is a trunk road (nationale) in France between Paris and the border with Italy. It was also known as Route des vacances (The Holiday Route), Route bleue (The Blue Route), and — sarcastically, during the annual rush to the Mediterranean beaches — the Route de la mort (Road of Death).

The Romans under Marcus Agrippa established a network of roads in 20 AD radiating from the then capital of the Gauls at Lugdunum (Lyon), known collectively as Via Agrippa. From Lugdunum the road north passed towards Lutèce (Paris) following roughly the route of current RN 6, and southward towards Rome, skirting the Rhone and passing through Arausio (Orange) and following the edge of the Mediterranean, like the current RN 7.

In the 15th century, with the creation of the royal post by Louis XI, a coherent network of roads was set up. The routes from Paris to Lyon pass through Moulins (route du Bourbonnais) or Dijon (route de Bourgogne). In the next century the first regular use of the road is made and elms were planted along the ways for shade and to mark the route. At that time (1553) the Le Guide des chemins de France ("Guide to the roads of France"), by the royal printer Robert Estienne, the ancestor of all the modern guidebooks, was published.

The RN 7 is being upgraded or replaced by the A77 autoroute. As the route elsewhere runs parallel to autoroutes as a result other sections have been re-numbered the RD 7, RD 607, RD 307, RD 907, RD 707, RD 207, RD 7n, RDN 7 and RD 6007.

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