Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is a three-level bridge designed to carry a Roman aqueduct. It is located at Vers-Pont-du-Gard between Uzès and Remoulins, not far from Nîmes, in the French department of Gard. It spans the Gardon river. Probably built in the first half of the 1st century under the Roman Empire, it was the first Roman aqueduct in France.
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History
Emerging from the heart of the Languedoc scrublands like a vision from antiquity, the Pont du Gard is much more than a bridge: it's a monumental aqueduct that supplied water to the Roman city of Nîmes (Nemausus) almost two thousand years ago. Its three rows of superimposed arches rise 49 metres above the Gardon, forming a strikingly harmonious silhouette that even time has not altered. Here, the golden limestone seems to emerge from the landscape as much as it dominates it. What makes the Pont du Gard truly unique is the combination of excess and precision. The aqueduct stretches for 50 kilometres from the springs at Uzès to Nîmes, with a gradient so gentle - around 1 centimetre per 100 metres - that it still defies the understanding of contemporary engineers. The 50,000 tonnes of limestone blocks were assembled without mortar, held together by the perfect fit of the ashlars and metal tenons. There are many unforgettable experiences to be had on your visit. You can walk along the riverbank and admire the monumental structure from river level, take the path that runs along the first level of arcades, or cross the bridge by the footbridge on the upper level to admire the remains of the water conduit and the panoramic view over the garrigue. At dawn or dusk, the light of the Midi transforms the stone into gold and ochre, providing photographers with anthology shots. The entire site has been redeveloped to welcome visitors while respecting the landscape: a museum set into the rock, educational areas, hiking trails and beaches on the banks of the Gardon. Families, history buffs, architects and artists will all find something to marvel at. You don't just visit the Pont du Gard, you experience it.
Architecture
The Pont du Gard belongs to the genius of Roman civil engineering architecture, in its most accomplished form. The structure is built entirely of local shell limestone, quarried in the immediate vicinity of the site - some blocks weighing up to six tonnes. The dry assembly, without mortar, is based on the perfect fit of the ashlars and on iron studs cast in lead, guaranteeing foolproof solidity against the floods of the Gardon. The total height of 49 metres is divided into three distinct levels. The first level, 6 metres wide, rests on six semicircular arches with a central span of 24.50 metres. The second level, set back slightly, is made up of eleven smaller arches. The third level, the thinnest and highest, supports the specus - a masonry channel 1.20 metres wide and 1.80 metres high inside, covered with flagstones - through which the water flowed at a constant temperature of around 17°C. Inside the canal, a waterproofing layer of opus signinum (tile mortar) ensured that the water remained tightly sealed. A remarkable feature is that the pillars are not perpendicular to the river bed, but slightly oblique, oriented to better withstand flooding. The triangular forebays upstream break the current, while the abutments originally intended to support the construction hangers are still visible on the sides of the arches - silent witnesses to the ancient building site.
Related Figures
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
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