Nîmes

Towns and Villages - by Provence Beyond

Villages > Nîmes      

Nearby:  | Aigues-Mortes 35 km | Alès 40 km | Arles 30 km | Avignon 44 km | Beaucaire 24 km | Montpellier 35 km | Pont du Gard 23 km | Saint Rémy-de-Provence 42 km | Sauve 40 km | Sommières 28 km | Tarascon 26 km | Uzès 25 km |

Below: | Maison Carree | Arena (Les Arenes) | Jardins de la Fontaine | History | O.T. | Hiking | Lodging Hotels |

Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée [Photo-05] in the center of Nîmes was built in 16 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the original patron of Rome's Pantheon. One of the best preserved temples anywhere in Rome's former empire of Roman Provence, the Maison Carrée was dedicated to Gaius Julius Caesar and Lucius Caesar, Marcus Agrippa's two sons and the adopted heirs of Augustus.

The original inscription dedicating the temple to Gaius and Lucius was removed in Medieval times, but reconstructed in 1758, reading: "To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul; to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate; to the princes of youth."

The temple owes its preservation to the fact that it was rededicated as a Christian church in the fourth century, saving it from the widespread destruction of temples that followed the adoption of Christianity as Rome's official state religion. It subsequently became a meeting hall for Nîme's consuls, a canon's house, a stable during the French Revolution and a storehouse for the city archives. It became a museum after 1823.

"Maison Carrée" in French means "retangle", deriving from the archaic term carré long, meaning a "long square", or rectangle - a reference to the building's shape.

The Maison Carrée inspired Paris' La Madeleine (the ƒglise de la Madeleine) and the Virginia State Capitol in the United States

Arena (Les Arènes)

The Roman Arena of Nîmes [Photo-01 and Photo-02] and is the best preserved of the Roman amphitheaters in Roman Provence.

The Arena was renovated in 2006-7, improving visitor access and adding audio-guides.

Photo-03 is a view of one of the passages around the lower part of the Arena.

You can see a 3D video film depicting gladiators in the Arena at the Maison Carrée.

Jardins de la Fontaine

These 18th-century gardens (Gardens of the Source) [Photo-13] are a magnificent site in Nîmes, built in 1745 by the former western defensive ramparts of the city. The park is build around the mythical Sanctuary of the Sacred Spring and the ancient monuments of the Temple of Diana and the Tour Magne.

The Jardins de la Fontaine are a beautiful site to visit, and a peaceful environment after a busy day sightseeing and shopping in the center of Nîmes.

History

Prehistoric: There's a menhir at Courbessac, to the northeast of Nîmes.

Celto-Ligurian: Nîmes was originnally Nemausus, the capital of the Celtic tribe Volques Arecomici.

Gallo-Roman: The town became a Roman colony under Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD), and increased in wealth under Roman rule during the rule of Agrippa and Hadrian.

Medieval: Nîmes was evangelized in the 3rd century, and then underwent a few centuries of being ravaged by Barbarian Invasions.

The town went through a period of being ruled by a Bishop and Viscounts, vassals if the Counts of Toulouse. In 1229, during the Albigeois Crusades (1209-1255), Nîmes was incorporated into France.

The Reformation in the 16th century was welcomed by Nîmes. In 1567, a large number of the town's Protestants were massacred by the Catholics.

When La Rochelle capitulated at the end of the Siege of La Rochelle (1627-1628), Nîmes submitted to the rule of the king, Louis XIII.

The Nîmois were called "manjo merlusso", mangeurs de morue (cod eaters).

Office de Tourisme

6 rue Auguste (facing the north side of the Roman Temple, La Maison Carrée)

Tel : 04 66 58 38 00; Fax: 04 66 58 38 01

Web: www.ot-nimes.fr

Dates

Market: Every Daily - Marché

Hiking

Maps:

IGN (1/25,000) #2942 O "Nîmes"

Lodging - Hotels

Sources:

Some historical content taken (and rewritten) from Wikipedia.