pont du gard

Cycling France

Month of publication:

September

Day of publication:

Number of Pages:

480 pages

Du Pain, Du Vin, Du Colosseum: Inside France's 'Roman Triangle'

Submitted by bija on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 10:08

If you were planning on including a bit of Roman heritage in your Summer travel plans, then it's worth bearing in mind that you don't have to make the trip all the way to Rome to see something as impressive as the Colosseum. South eastern France was annexed by the Romans as early as 125 BC and the region is rich with a wide variety of monuments dating from the empire that brought it aqueducts, villas, wine and roads more than 2,000 years ago. Here is a look at some of the main Roman heritage sites to discover in the region, most of them within a triangle formed by the three towns of Orange, Nîmes and Arles, although the area of Lyon to the north is also rich in Roman culture.

Arles

Daily Flickr Finds: jojofotografia's Pont Du Gard

Submitted by Prad on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 11:33

jojofotografia's capture of the Pont du Gard in the South of France boasts a great HDR shot full of vibrancy and colour, reflecting the beauty of this ancient Roman aqueduct. The strong lines of the structure against the natural features of the water and green banks represent a strong contrast, and the lighting shows the richness of the stone. High dynamic range (HDR) imaging shots are ideal for bringing the colour out in an image, and jojofotografia has really done a stunning job in this photograph.

The Pont du Gard was originally thought to have been built by Augustus's son-in-law, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in about 19BC, but recent excavations dispute this, dating it to the middle of the first century AD. The whole structure is built with precisely cut stones, eliminating the need for mortar and on completion allowed the transport of water across the Gardon river valley.

Pont du Gard

Attribution:

http2007

Key Dates

Construction took place either around 19 BC or in the middle of the first century AD

The pont was unusable as an aquaduct by the 9th century, having fallen into disrepair, but it remained intact.

Until the 18th century, it was used as a bridge to carry people across the river, with the pillars in the second level reduced in width to make more room for the traffic. However, this risked the safety of the pont, so the pillars were restored to their original width in 1702. A new bridge was built next to the lower level in 1743 to accommodate road traffic.

The pont was restored in the 18th century and again in the mid-19th century.

A major redevelopment project ended in 2000, adding visitor facilities and pedestrianising the surrounding area. There is also now a museum on the north bank.

Key People

Who actually built the Pont du Gard remains a topic of debate in archaeological circles. Augustus's son-in-law, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, was originally credited with its construction around 19 BC, but more recent excavations have dated it to the middle of the first century AD.

The spectacular Pont du Gard is a Roman aquaduct in Vers-Pont-du-Gard in the the south of France. The pont is some 49 metres high and 275 metres long, and is built over three levels. The first level provides a road crossing, while a water conduit is factored into the top level. The pont was originally part of a 50km long aquaduct system designed to carry water across the Gardon river valley, taking water from the Fontaines d'Eure springs near Uzes to what is now Nimes.

It was built without mortar, its stones cut to fit perfectly together. The stones were lifted into place using a huge human-powered treadmill for winch power. Between 800 and 1000 workers spent around three years building the pont.

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and attracts more than a million visitors a year, making it one of France's top tourist attractions.

Images