Greetings everyone! The extraordinary changes we’re all experiencing made me think a virtual exploration might be just what we could use right now. I hope everyone is well, and safe.
Today I’m going to focus on one of the most picturesque cities I’ve visited: Nîmes ! As a lover of travel, I’m often struck by the thought that my favorite place is the one I’m currently enjoying. If that place happens to be in France, I’m a happy traveler.
All pictures can be clicked for larger images.
A Bit of History
The Roman Empire
By Tataryn – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19625326
The Roman Empire refers to the territory and control held by Roman emperors from the fall of the Roman Republic in 27BCE until the abdication of the last western emperor in 476CE, an amazing period of rule and influence lasting more than 500 years. The Roman Republic was founded in the sixth century BCE, but didn’t expand beyond the Italian peninsula until the third century BCE.
By Eric Gaba, Flappiefh – Own work from a topographic map from Eric Gaba, and from data provided by www.omnesviae.org, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20226286
La Via Domitia or Roman Road, established by the Romans, forms the basis for some of the roads we have today. These were built by the army and slaves, and were well used. In France, la Via Domitia was a route of 275km stretching between the Rhone river and the Pyrenees. Even today, sections of the road and milestones can be seen on the road from Nîmes to Beaucaire. The route climbed from Rome up to Genoa, where it split to follow the Mediterranean coast to Nice, through Arles and on to Nîmes, and further northward through Italy through Turin, and onto Briançon and Apt, where it reconnected in Nîmes. It then progressed west to Narbonne and then followed the coast on into Spain, hitting Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville, finally reaching the southwest coastal city of Cadiz.
Gaul (France)
The French territory (Celtic Gaul) fell under Roman rule starting in 121BCE, when the Empire conquered and annexed the southern territories. The influence and investments from the Empire can still be seen in many of the southern cities of France today. Some previously explored areas include present-day Lyon, one of the major hubs of Roman travel, and Arles, which benefited greatly from backing Caesar against Pompeii, as well as many other cities.
Nîmes
The city of Nîmes is often regarded as one of the most Roman cities in France, and for good reason. The influence and control by the Romans from two millennia earlier is still in evidence today.
Walking outside the Nîmes train station to the north (there is a south exit as well), I was immediately treated to the wide Avenue Feuchères running northwest, leading to the Square du 11 Novembre 1918 and finishing at the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and the extraordinary arena of Nîmes. The Square du 11 Novembre is a large plaza where people spend time talking, meeting, and just enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The Pradier Fountain splashes in the center, adding to the feeling of constant activity.
Across the Esplanade Charles de Gaule is the Palais de Justice and the Place des Arènes, a large city plaza just south of the arena, with an iconic statue of the toreador Christian Montcouquiol (or Nimeño as he was known), welcoming visitors.
Les Arènes de Nîmes
Les Arènes de Nîmes–the arena–is said to be the best-preserved amphitheater from the Roman Empire. It is still used today for bullfighting, concerts, and other civic events, with a capacity of 24,000 people. Built in the second century CE, the arena is accessible to visitors, and audio systems are available for self-guided tours. Entering the arenas lower level, it is easy to get an idea of the massive amount of work it took the Romans to design and construct the structure. Given that it has lasted almost 1,900 years, the quality of the work is amazing. It’s well worth the effort to climb to the top row. The interior of the arena is amazing, as are the views of the city over the walls.
L’Écusson
Image from Cycle-Hop www.cycle-hop.fr/
The Écusson, or historic center of the city, is a marvelous pedestrian section of the city where it is easy to spend time just wandering through the crisscrossing streets, moving from one open square to another.
There are many shops and restaurants in this section of the city, and it emphasizes the overall feeling of the prosperity and ease of life in Nîmes.
One great example of the city squares is the la Place de l’Horloge, featuring the Clock Tower–Tour de l’Horloge–built in the 15th and 16th centuries.
This historic city center is bordered by broad boulevards. Blvd Victor Hugo leads to the northwest from the arena, angling slightly to the right where it becomes the Blvd Alphonse Daudet. The north end of the city center is bordered by the Blvd Gambetta, which curves gradually to the right, connecting with the Blvd Amiral Courbet which travels straight south. The Blvd Amiral Courbet angles slightly to the right, and turns into the Blvd de la Liberation, which meets back up with the Blvd Victor Hugo by the arena. For anyone with a limited amount of time, exploring the city center offers a well-defined area with plenty to see.
Maison Carrée
On the west side of the city center where Blvd Victor Hugo meets Blvd Alphonse Daudet sits the majestic Maison Carrée – the only remaining Roman temple still in its entirety.
Built by Augustus, and dedicated by his two sons Caius and Lucius, it was placed on a podium which overlooked the forum, the city’s public gathering place. Public announcements were made and public ceremonies were performed at the podium. Given its imposing size, the temple would have dominated the forum as well as the city. It is a very visible reminder of Rome’s authority.
Les Halles
Across the street and a couple of blocks to the east can be found Les Halles – the indoor shopping center.
On the ground floor are the food stalls, where people shop for the daily meals: meats, cheese, fruit, wines, etc. On the upper floors, it becomes a normal modern indoor mall, with the expected clothing, shoes, electronics, etc. that can be found in malls in every city in the western world. Les Halles is a strong draw for the travelers, not just for food and shopping, but also the air conditioning and les toilettes.
Beyond the Écusson
For those with time to explore beyond the historic city center, there are some things worth the walking and effort.
When Rome was settling in Nîmes, the water source was a spring. The Romans immediately recognized the need for a better supply of water for their vision of an expanded Roman city. Springs were identified in the Uzès area that had enough good water to supply the city of Nîmes. The problem was getting the water from Uzès to Nîmes. The distance between the two cities was about 12 miles (20km), but would have required a 6-mile (10km) tunnel to be dug. Winding through the hills added another 18 miles (30km) for a total of 30 miles (50km). There was only a 55-foot elevation drop (17m) over the 30-mile length between Uzès and Nîmes. The Roman engineers and laborers constructed the aqueduct, which is best known for traveling over the Pont du Gard, and successfully ending with a strong water supply in Nîmes.
The aqueduct extended to a Nîmes water distribution point, the Castellum Aquae that can be found today north of the city center. The distribution center has a basin that held the water from the aqueduct, and then routed it into ten water supply channels to bath houses, public foundations, and even to privileged households with running water.
The basin has a diameter of 5.9m and depth of 1.4m. The aqueduct supplied over 50M US gallons per day or 2.2M US gallons hourly to the distribution basin, water that completely changed life in early Nîmes.
A Walled City
Nîmes was a walled city, as were many other cities in the Roman empire. Today only a few remnants are still visible. Two gates are still in existence today. The Porte Auguste (or Porte d’Arles) can be found in the north-east corner of the Écusson.
This was the entry from La Via Domitia, with two main central arches for vehicles and two side arches for pedestrians. The area around the gate is fenced off to protect the ancient rock work, but details are easily seen from just outside the fence.
Another gateway still exists, the Porte de France, located a couple of blocks to the south-west of the arena.
Unlike the Porte Auguste, the Porte de France is a single archway, integrated into the buildings around it, and an active street runs right through it.
Originally there were 14 gates in and out of the city, and the walls ran 6km around the city, with circular towers at regular intervals.
Jardins de la Fontaine
To the west of the city center is the broad Avenue Jean Jaures, a main thoroughfare running north/south, with a beautiful pedestrian pathway between the north and south running streets.
Following this avenue north leads to the incredible Jardins de la Fontaine. The entryway to the gardens is through an elaborate gate with the familiar symbol of Nîmes, the crocodile and palm tree image.
Inside the gates, the ground opens into a beautiful sculpted garden with water elements and ornate walls.
The gardens were built on the site of the sacred spring dedicated to the Celtic god Nemausus. Romans build their nymphaeum, a shrine to the nymphs of a spring which still flows today. The gardens were made over in the 18th century and were intended to celebrate the Imperial past of Nîmes.
Tour Magne
To the north of the gardens can be found another remnant of the ancient walls of the city, the Tour Magne.
The tower, along with the Porte Auguste and Porte de France, is the most substantial surviving feature of the wall. The tower stands over 100 feet tall (33m) and is actually made up of two towers, a pre-Roman tower on the interior and the outer Roman tower. The Iron-Age interior stands about 18m high. Originally the Roman tower was several meters higher. It’s a bit of a hike to get to the tower from the gardens, but I felt it was worth it. A truly incredible structure.
Temple de Diane
Inside the area of the gardens can be found the Temple of Diana. It was left untouched when the gardens were made over in the 18th century.
Its actual purpose is a mystery, as is the name. It is thought that it was built sometime during the reign of Augustus. Local folklore says this was an ancient temple dedicated to Diana, goddess of the moon. But with its layout, it was likely a library rather than a temple. The façade was rebuilt during the second century, and it housed a monastery in the middle ages. It was classified as a historic monument in 1840.
Wrap Up
Nîmes is a beautiful city, with modern and ancients elements living comfortably side by side.
It has had a long and prosperous past, and it has a busy cosmopolitan feeling today. It’s a city well worth visiting and exploring, so much to see and enjoy. I can’t wait for a chance to return.
