Roman Nimes - Pont Du Gard, Maison Carree, Arena of Nimes (Paperback)

Chapters: Pont Du Gard, Maison Carree, Arena of Nimes. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 20. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Pont du Gard is the major stonework of a 50km aqueduct that runs between Uzes and Nimes in the South of France. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard departement. The aqueduct was constructed by the Roman Empire in the middle of the first century A.D. The Pont du Gard is today one of France's top five tourist attractions; it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. Pont du Gard literally means bridge of the Gard (river). The Gard River, which has given its name to the Gard departement, does not actually exist under this name. The river, formed by many tributaries, several of which are called Gardon, is itself called Gardon until its end. Built on three levels, the Pont is 49 m high, and the longest level is 275 m (300 yards) long. On its first level, it carries a road and at the top of the third level, a water conduit, which is 1.8 metres (6 ft) high and 1.2 meters (4 ft) wide and has a gradient of 0.4 percent. The aqueduct runs from Uzes to NimesIt has long been thought that the Pont du Gard was built by Augustus' son-in-law and aide, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, around the year 19 BC. Newer excavations, however, suggest the construction may have taken place between 40 and 60 A.D; consequently, opinion is now somewhat divided on the matter. Designed to carry the water across the small Gardon river valley, it was part of a nearly 50 km (31 mi) aqueduct that brought water from the Fontaines d'Eure springs near Uzes to the Castellum in the Roman city of Nemausus (Nimes).The full aqueduct had a gradient of 25 cm/km (1/4000), descending only 12 m vertically in its entire length and delivering 35,000 cubic meters of wat...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=19803