Roman aqueduct in France. The Pont du Gard aqueduct is an ancient Roman heritage. Pont du Gard: a new history
Nimes- an ancient city in the south of France in the province of Languedoc-Roussillon, on the border with Provence. Once upon a time it was captured by the ancient Romans, who, unlike modern youth who write on the walls “Vasya was here,” first built these very walls of palaces, amphitheaters, aqueducts and other architectural creations that have survived to this day, and only then wrote on them "Caesar Was Here". This is how the memory of people lasts longer, and Nîmes in this regard is a typical monument city.
Traditionally, I will begin my story about visiting Nîmes with the people who helped us get there. This is a beautiful French couple of couchsurfers: Nathalie and Charles - they invited us to stay in their apartment in the historical center of the city. The apartment has high stucco ceilings, huge windows overlooking narrow pedestrian streets, and a fireplace decorated with an antique moped that Charles inherited from his uncle.
Nathalie and Charles are 1960s lovers. This is noticeable in the boys’ clothing style, in the interior of their home, and in the music that fills their home. Even their car is from that time.
Unfortunately, we spent only one evening with Charles (the next day he left on a business trip to Paris), but we managed to try the lasagna he prepared and delicious candied oranges in chocolate. I must say that he cooks very tasty, so his own cafe, which he plans to open in a year, is doomed to success.
Natalie is a former oceanographer and aspiring teacher; we had the opportunity to communicate with her much more, and this communication was very pleasant and informative. For example, we learned from her that stale slices of bread soaked in milk and egg and fried in a frying pan, which my mother often cooks, turn out to be also popular in France. Their name for this dish is very suspicious to the Russian ear: “pan perdu”. And Natalie, thanks to Yulia, tried Karelian wickets.
The house where the guys live was just asking for a photo shoot there.
Well, now let’s take a look at the ancient Roman and modern sights of Nim. One of them is Amphitheater or Arena Nimes, built in the 1st century AD in the image and likeness of the Roman Colosseum. Just like in Rome, gladiator fights with wild animals were held here, as well as fights between prisoners sentenced to death. The bloody spectacles attracted up to 25,000 spectators. Later the Arena was used as a fortress, and there were many residential buildings inside it. It was only in the 19th century that the building was restored to its original appearance by evicting all the inhabitants.
Another trace of the Roman Empire - the temple Maison Carre(from French - "square house"). Currently, there is an exhibition of ancient Roman art here.
Let us move briefly from ancient art to modern art.
On the advice of Nathalie and Charles, we went for a walk in
Near the garden, elderly Frenchmen play petanque. The game is unhurried, the men talk leisurely. A social game - like our dominoes or towns once upon a time.
The gardens were laid out in 1745 and are well preserved. Goldfish and fish in an artificial pond attract the attention of walkers.
The fountain garden is a great place to relax.
Martin-Tigger.
And in general, orange is our family color.
On the hill above the gardens rises another evidence of ancient Roman civilization - the Magne Tower. What kind of “Man”, a curious reader will ask. "Tour Magne" - from French "big tower". In fact, it is not that big - only 36 meters in height at its best, and now even less. In 1601, a local gardener found evidence in the prophecies of Nostradamus that a treasure was buried under the tower, and obtained permission to excavate. Because of them, the tower was devastated and partially collapsed, losing several meters in height. Need I say that the treasure was never found? Today, for a fee of a few euros, you can go up and enjoy the views of Nimes from above.
However, the view from the hill is excellent without the tower. The only thing that spoils it is a few tasteless high-rise buildings built in the city center. That's who I didn't expect from the French with their refined taste.
Another artifact: Temple of Diana. The sign nearby says in five languages that climbing on it is strictly prohibited. Apparently there were precedents.
From the Fountain Garden, Jean Jaurès Avenue with a nice pedestrian area goes into the distance.
But the most impressive ancient Roman structure is without a doubt Pont du Gard aqueduct, located 30 km northeast of Nîmes. It spans the Gardon River (formerly called the Gard), and the name "Pont du Gard" means "bridge over the Gard". Part of a 50-kilometer water pipeline, it served to supply Nîmes with water. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the water supply ceased to function, and the aqueduct was used as a bridge for a long time.
The aqueduct can be approached from two sides. Most visitors come from where all the signs lead. On the other side of the river the access is usually more free. But we were there at the end of March, and even in the evening, so there were practically no tourists, and we had a unique chance to walk along a completely empty aqueduct.
Just a couple of years ago, access here was free; paid parking was only at the main entrance. But now you have to pay, no matter which direction you come from. I think it's 18 euros per car.
By the way, this aqueduct is depicted on the 5 euro banknote.
Evening is the best time to visit Pont du Gard, not only because there are not many tourists, but also because of the best view. So upon our arrival, the sky, which had been overcast all day, cleared up, and the aqueduct appeared before us in the soft sunset rays.
Access to the third tier is closed by a grille and a door, and from this angle you would never guess the massiveness of this structure.
The entrance to the third tier is on the other side.
The sun has disappeared, which means it’s time for us to move on...
Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct located in the French department of Gard. The name literally translates as “bridge over the Gar.”
The Pont du Gard is the tallest surviving Roman aqueduct, measuring 275 meters in length and 49 meters in height. Thus, the bridge is approximately the same height as a 16-story modern building.
The Pont du Gard is made of six-ton stones, without the use of lime. It is believed that the Pont du Gard was built by order of the great commander Marcus Agrippa, a friend of Emperor Octavian Augustus, in 19 BC. However, according to modern research, the construction of the bridge was completed only in the middle of the 1st century AD. The Pont du Gard was part of a 50-kilometer water pipeline that connected two ancient Roman cities in the south of France - Nîmes and Uzès.
The Pont du Gard is a three-tier aqueduct, with each tier having a different number of arches: thirty-five arches in the upper tier, in which the water supply ran. There are eleven arches in the middle tier, and only six in the lower tier, and only one of these six arches is the load-bearing part of the bridge. The width of the arches decreases as you approach the shore.
According to modern calculations, thanks to this aqueduct, the inhabitants of Nîmes, who numbered about 50 thousand people, could use 400 liters of water each day.
The Pont du Gard served as an aqueduct until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, then it was sometimes used as a bridge. But already in the 8th century, the ancient aqueduct was practically out of commission: winds and time destroyed many of its sections, and local residents broke out stone for construction. In addition, in order for larger vehicles to pass over the bridge, it was necessary to hollow out part of the aqueduct's supports, which could cause the collapse of the entire structure. However, the Pont du Gard stood for over a thousand years, and traffic on the Pont du Gard only finally ceased in 1747, when a modern bridge was built nearby. And in 1855, the ancient aqueduct was restored by order of Napoleon III.
Since 1985, Pont du Gard has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is believed that this bridge is depicted on the back of the 5 euro note.
Reading time: 4 minutes. Views 3k. Published August 25, 2014
Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueducts that have survived to this day. The name of the bridge is given in honor of the river it crosses - Gard. Now, however, it has been renamed the Gardon River. The bridge is located near the city of Nimes in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, in the Gard department.
This bridge was part of a 50-meter aqueduct built to transport water from the Uzes springs to the city of Nîmes. Construction of the bridge is believed to have begun in the mid-1st century AD. under the reign of Claudius or Nero. About a thousand people worked on the construction of Pont du Gard over 5 years. This is the highest bridge built in antiquity.
Photo 2.
It is a grandiose structure, 275 meters long and 47 meters high, built from stones without the use of lime. The bridge consists of three tiers: 6 arches in the lower tier, 11 arches in the middle and 35 arches in the upper tier. The closer to the shore, the narrower the arches become. This is the last of the three-tier bridges of Ancient Rome that have survived to this day.
Photo 3.
Aqueducts were built at an angle so that water flowed to the desired location under the influence of gravity. With literally the smallest slope averaging just 25 cm per kilometer, the Pont du Gard provided Nimes with 30,000 to 40,000 m3 of running water per day, supplying numerous baths, fountains, and water pipes in rich houses.
Photo 4.
The aqueduct ceased to be used almost 500 years after its construction, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, although the Pont du Gard served simply as a bridge over the Gard River for many centuries. In the mid-18th century, a modern bridge was built nearby and the Pont du Gard was gradually closed to traffic.
In 1985, Pont du Gard was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Photo 5.
From 1696 to 1702, large-scale work was carried out to restore the bridge. And in 1747, a modern bridge was built near the aqueduct, thanks to which the Pont du Gard gets rid of the constant load. It is being repaired and brought into proper shape. Now it is a popular tourist destination.
Photo 6.
its height is 49 meters. Rare for that time, the building consists of 3 floors of arches: in the first row - 6 arches, in the second - 11, in the third - 35. The total weight of the structure is 50 thousand tons.
Photo 7.
At one time, the Pont du Gard aqueduct made a deep impression on the philosopher and thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the writer Stendhal, and the artist Hubert Robert, whose painting “Pont du Gard” is now kept in the Louvre.
Photo 8.
The Pont du Gard is made of six-ton stones, without the use of lime. It is believed that the Pont du Gard was built by order of the great commander Marcus Agrippa, a friend of Emperor Octavian Augustus, in 19 BC. However, according to modern research, the construction of the bridge was completed only in the middle of the 1st century AD. The Pont du Gard was part of a 50-kilometer water pipeline that connected two ancient Roman cities in the south of France - Nîmes and Uzès.
The Pont du Gard is a three-tier aqueduct, with each tier having a different number of arches: thirty-five arches in the upper tier, in which the water supply ran. There are eleven arches in the middle tier, and only six in the lower tier, and only one of these six arches is the load-bearing part of the bridge. The width of the arches decreases as you approach the shore.
Photo 9.
According to modern calculations, thanks to this aqueduct, the inhabitants of Nîmes, who numbered about 50 thousand people, could use 400 liters of water each day.
The Pont du Gard served as an aqueduct until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, then it was sometimes used as a bridge. But already in the 8th century, the ancient aqueduct was practically out of commission: winds and time destroyed many of its sections, and local residents broke out stone for construction. In addition, in order for larger vehicles to pass over the bridge, it was necessary to hollow out part of the aqueduct's supports, which could cause the collapse of the entire structure. However, the Pont du Gard stood for over a thousand years, and traffic on the Pont du Gard only finally ceased in 1747, when a modern bridge was built nearby. And in 1855, the ancient aqueduct was restored by order of Napoleon III
Aqueduct of Pont du Gard (France) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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If you need a living example of a historical and architectural paradox, then southern France is ideally suited for this: monuments from the era of the Roman Empire are more numerous here than in Italy itself, and even more preserved. Theatrical performances are still held in the Nîmes amphitheater, and the world's highest Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, even served as a road bridge until the second half of the last century.
This paradox has an explanation: the territories of Provence and Languedoc became part of France quite a long time ago, and subsequent historical storms passed them - unlike Italy, torn apart by internecine wars.
“...made by the slaves of Rome”
The dimensions of the Pont du Gard aqueduct can amaze even in the 21st century: the length of the structure is 275 and the height is 49 m (For comparison, this is the height of a modern 16-story building!). But no matter how grandiose the current bridge is, in fact it is only part of an ancient water pipeline 50 km long. It supplied Nim with water for half a millennium, and its capacity was sufficient for each resident of a city of 50 thousand to consume up to 400 liters of water per day. The height difference between the starting and ending points of the water pipeline was only 17 m (or 34 cm per kilometer). How Roman engineers managed to achieve such incredible accuracy is still a mystery to historians.
The Romans did not suffer from gigantomania and did not waste resources on stupid things like the Egyptian pyramids: in addition to practical functions, their buildings had a clear political goal - to instill in the conquered peoples awe of the power of the Empire and destroy in the bud the very idea of resistance.
Another mystery of the Garsky Bridge is hidden in its design. It was built by simply joining six-ton stone blocks end to end - without the use of binding components (although the Romans were well aware of the properties of concrete - because they invented it themselves). It is surprising that this structure has stood for two millennia, because the conditions in the Gardon River valley are extremely difficult: in spring and autumn, the bridge supports suffer from floods, and the three-level structure as a whole is subject to wind erosion all year round.
It is possible that the entire water supply system could have survived to this day, but it was destroyed not by the bungling of builders or vandalism, not by wars or natural disasters, but by the properties of the local water - it contains too much lime. After the collapse of the Empire, there was no one to clean the water supply from sediment, and it simply clogged. The stones of the already useless structure were used to build houses and fortresses, and the Pont du Gard survived because another use was found for it - as a bridge.
Pont du Gard today
The old bridge has finally found its well-deserved peace: traffic on it has been stopped, since 1985 it has been under the protection of UNESCO, and now only tourists stroll under the arched vaults. There is a museum near the bridge, nearby there are children's playgrounds, souvenir shops and restaurants with cafes - in a word, everything you need to slowly and comfortably explore the unique heritage of Rome - the majestic Pont du Gard.
Practical information
GPS coordinates: 43° 56" 50; 4° 32" 08.
The Pont du Gard park is open 7 days a week all year round. Ticket category "Short excursion" (Pont du Gard, Museum, Cinema, Game Library, route "Memory of Garigy", Expositions) - 9.50 EUR, Ticket "Aqueduct": "Short excursion" + guided tour along the canal) - 14 EUR. Evening ticket for illumination (only in June, July, August and September) - 5 EUR. The museum's opening hours depend on the season; information is regularly updated on the official website. Prices on the page are as of March 2019.
How to get there: by car on the A9 motorway to exit 23, then follow the signs for Pont du Gard. You can take buses line A15 (from Avignon) or B21 (from Nimes) - in both cases the journey will take about half an hour.
The Pont du Gard crosses the gorge of the Gardon River in the vicinity of the Roman city of Nemaus, which today the French call Nimes. The Romans built the Pont du Gard in the 1st century. AD to supply the city with water coming from the same natural source where the world famous Perrier brand now gets its water. The aqueduct bridge is just part of a 50-kilometer water supply system that delivered water from the source to the city of Nîmes without a single pump. Roman engineers used simple measurements and calculations to ensure that the water supply gradually descended from the source to the city and the water flowed through it on its own thanks to the force of gravity.
Pont du Gard is an example of the skill of ancient architects. The individual blocks, each weighing up to 6 tons, were laid into masonry without the visible use of mortar - in a method known as "opus quadratum". The Romans further strengthened the structure by slightly changing the standard order of laying the cladding. Instead of alternating half and whole blocks in each row, they alternated a row of whole blocks and a row of halves. This significantly increased the strength of the building as a whole due to some freedom of movement.
The supports of the lower and middle tiers stand exactly on top of each other, so as not to burden the arched spans with additional weight. The width of the spans gradually decreases in both directions from the middle of the aqueduct to the banks in order to correspondingly reduce the weight carried by each arch. The giant key stones weigh 6 tons each. They are hewn with special care and placed in their places.
The three tiers of the Pont du Gard rise to a height of 49 m and have 52 arches. The lowest tier consists of 6 arches, its total length is 142 m, height 22 m and width 6 m. The middle tier of 11 arches is 242 m long, 20 m high and only 4 m wide. The upper tier, through which the water supply ran, has a length 275 m, height 7 m and width 3 m. The water channel laid out in stone was supported by 35 relatively small arches. This channel, 1.2 m wide and 1.8 m deep, is still in good condition. The gradient of its descent is about 19 cm per 1 km. At one time, he delivered 20,000 cubic meters to the city per day. m of water.
After the 4th century The aqueduct practically stopped being cleaned, so by the 9th century. it finally became clogged with salts and debris and ceased to serve as a water supply. However, until the 18th century. it was used as a pedestrian bridge. In 1747, a new bridge was built nearby for pedestrians.
These days, the Pont du Gard is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the south of France. And you can still cross the Gardon River on foot.
Chronology
- 1st century AD: The Pont du Gard was built and served as an aqueduct.
- Vb.: The water supply silted up due to lack of maintenance and stopped working.
- 19th century: Napoleon III restored the Pont du Gard.
- 1985: Pont du Gard is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Data
- Functions: The Pont du Gard served as a water main and a pedestrian crossing. Local limestone was used for its masonry.
- Dimensions: Height 49 m, length 275 m at its widest point.
- Width of arch spans: The largest arch is 24.4 m wide.
- Descent gradient: The 1.2 m wide channel decreases by 1 9 cm for every 1 km.