Pont du Gard, France
The Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard is one of the greatest sights in all of ancient history. It's an incredibly impressive structure. In fact, it is the tallest ancient bridge and the second-highest structure the Romans ever built, after the Coliseum in Rome, which is just 6 feet higher.
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Not only is this a work of great engineering, but it has come down to us as one of the most important works of art of the ancient world, a work of great architecture recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built to carry water from the countryside into the city of Nîmes, which was a big Roman center back in those days, and it continued carrying water for five hundred years.
Pont Du Gard - Gard Bridge - France Travel Guide by Travel & Discover
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The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. It is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct -- built mostly underground -- took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance.
Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (UNESCO/NHK)
The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels -- the longest measuring 275 m -- created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece.
Source: UNESCO TV / © NHK Nippon Hoso Kyokai
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Pont du Gard, France
The Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard in the south of France near Avignon is one of the greatest sights in all of ancient history. It's an incredibly impressive structure, in fact, the tallest ancient bridge and the second highest structure the Romans ever built, after the Colosseum in Rome which is just six feet higher.
Pont du Gard is part of an ancient, water channel about 31 miles in length, built mostly on or beneath the ground to carry water to Nimes. The Romans constructed this bridge across the valley about 2,000 years ago to maintain an even flow of water with just a very slight change in level, dropping only about one inch every 300 feet. This engineering miracle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Three levels of arches hold up the water channel that runs across the top. The tallest arches that Roman engineers ever built are on the bottom. Their buildings relied heavily on the arch, for many interior spaces were differing variations of this critical feature: large rooms were often made with barrel-vaulted ceilings, really a series of arches connected together, and an arch could also be spun around on its axis to form a dome, another important Roman innovation.
Coming all this way to Pont du Gard, you want to fully enjoy the various vistas for a complete appreciation. The paved path from the visitor center affords some decent views, but don't settle for this. Stroll across the bridge, then up a well-marked hillside path to gain access to the aqueduct's upper level where you can actually walk through the canal itself. It is partly open and partly covered, forming a dark tunnel that tall folks will need to stoop to get through. In ancient times it was completely covered over to protect the water. Here you acquire first-hand respect for the amazing engineering skill that created this marvel.
Exiting the aqueduct channel, walk back down slope, then along the stream on the sunny side of the structure for a few hundred yards to get the best possible view looking back toward the soaring masterpiece. Perhaps you'll get lucky and have a calm day with a mirror reflection of the bridge in the river's smooth surface. This is one of the world's most astonishing ancient sights, a marvel inherited from antiquity.
Keep one eye on the clock, for you might want to catch the bus to Avignon, leaving the same traffic circle at 1:22pm and arriving back in Avignon at 2:00pm. You do want that 1:22pm bus because the next one is at 6:45pm, reasonable only if you spent more time in Nimes earlier in the day. Otherwise, it's nice to be back in the great city of Avignon by mid-afternoon to catch up on sights you may have missed, do more shopping, or take a nap to recover from these three intensive days.
Pont du Gard, France
Pont du Gard in the south of France is the highest bridge the ancient Romans ever constructed, 2000 years ago. It was built to carry water from the countryside into the city of Nîmes, which was a big Roman center back in those days, and it continued carrying water for 500 years. The Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard is one of the greatest sights in all of ancient history. It's an incredibly impressive structure, in fact, the tallest ancient bridge and the second highest structure the Romans ever built, after the Colosseum in Rome which is just six feet higher. This is part of a much longer aqueduct that goes for about 20 miles through the countryside, mostly at ground level, and just below ground surface intended and built to supply water to the nearby town of Nîmes. Occasionally, the aqueduct came across the River Valley and therefore, it had to be built upon a bridge spanning the Valley in order to keep by relatively level course for the water channel a couldn't possibly go down once had a Valley and then back uphill on the other side of the valley the water had to run fairly level. It only dropped about 1 inch every 300 feet and so to accomplish this, the Roman engineers built this incredible soaring stone bridge the middle arch of the bridge is the largest arch that the ancient Romans ever constructed in the highest bridge.
Le Pont du Gard, une merveille de l'Antiquité - Vers-Pont-du-Gard (30)
Visite au site du Pont du Gard - Vers-Pont-du-Gard (30)
Le pont du Gard est un pont à trois niveaux destiné au passage d'un aqueduc romain. Il est situé à Vers-Pont-du-Gard entre Uzès et Remoulins, non loin de Nîmes, dans le département français du Gard. Il enjambe le Gardon. L' aqueduc de Nîmes a sans doute été construit au Ier S. de notre ère, comme en atteste la céramique.
The Pont du Gard is a three-level bridge intended for the passage of a Roman aqueduct. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard between Uzès and Remoulins, not far from Nîmes, in the French department of Gard. It crosses the Gardon. The aqueduct of Nîmes was probably built in the 1st S. of our era, as the ceramics attest.
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Pont Du Gard - Francia
Il ponte del Gard è un ponte romano a tre livelli situato nel sud della Francia a Vers-Pont-du-Gard, vicino Remoulins, nel dipartimento del Gard. Attraversa il fiume Gardon, e fa parte dell'acquedotto romano che porta lo stesso nome.
Costituito da tre serie di arcate, il ponte domina il fiume Gardon con i suoi 49 metri di altezza e 275 di lunghezza.
Il ponte è stato costruito verso il 19 a.C. e faceva parte di un acquedotto di quasi 50 km di lunghezza che portava l'acqua dalle sorgenti di Uzès (il punto di captazione non è conosciuto) alla città gallo-romana di Nemausus, oggi chiamata Nîmes. È stato costruito da Agrippa sotto l'imperatore Augusto. La portata raggiungeva i 20.000 metri cubi d'acqua al giorno. La consistenza dei depositi in calcare suggerisce che l'acquedotto sia stato in attività per non meno di 400-500 anni.
Le Pont du Gard scanné en 3D !
Le Pont du Gard enjambe le Gardon et résiste à ses crues depuis 2000 ans ! Pourtant, les blocs qui le constitue sont simplement empilés sans joint ni mortier !
Récemment, le Pont du Gard a été scanné et modélisé en 3D, permettant ainsi d'observer l'évolution de son état.
Extrait de l'émission Des Racines et Des Ailes : Gardiens des trésors du Gard diffusée le 27/09/2017.
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Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River, from which it takes its name. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. The bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 17 m (56 ft) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 cm (0.98 in) a gradient of only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 (44,000,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It continued to be used possibly until the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Le pont du Gard - Gard - France
Le pont du Gard est un pont-aqueduc romain à trois niveaux, situé à Vers-Pont-du-Gard entre Uzès et Nîmes, dans le département du Gard (France). Il enjambe le Gardon, ou Gard. Probablement bâti dans la première moitié du Ier siècle, il assurait la continuité de l'aqueduc romain qui conduisait l'eau d'Uzès à Nîmes. Les dernières recherches montreraient que son fonctionnement cessa au début du VIe siècle.
Au Moyen Âge, les piles du second étage furent échancrées et l'ouvrage fut utilisé comme pont routier. L'architecture exceptionnelle du pont du Gard attira l'attention dès le XVIe siècle, qui dès lors bénéficia de restaurations régulières destinées à préserver son intégrité. Un pont routier lui fut accolé en 1743-1747. Plus haut pont-aqueduc connu du monde romain, il a été classé monument historique en 18401 et inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco en décembre 19852. Le site a fait l'objet d'importants aménagements en 2000.
L'aqueduc romain de Nîmes[modifier le code]
Le pont du Gard est la partie monumentale d'un aqueduc de plus de 50 km de longueur (52 702 m), qui apportait l'eau de la Fontaine d'Eure, située au pied d'Uzès, jusqu'à la ville romaine de Nemausus, aujourd'hui Nîmes3, alors à son apogée. Les eaux de la source proviennent en partie de la rivière d'Alzon, qui passe par les environs d'Uzès, et des eaux récoltées du mont Bouquet, situé plus près d'Alès. L'aqueduc proprement dit est un chef-d'œuvre d'ingénierie, témoignage de l'extraordinaire maîtrise des constructeurs anciens : le dénivelé entre les points de départ et d'arrivée n'est que de 12,6 m, la pente moyenne générale étant de 24,8 cm par km. À cause du relief, l'aqueduc serpente à travers les petites montagnes et vallées des garrigues d'Uzès et de Nîmes4.
L'aqueduc de Nîmes a sans doute été construit au Ier siècle de notre ère, comme en atteste la céramique. Des tunnels datant de l'époque d'Auguste ont dû être contournés, ce qui montre que la construction de l'aqueduc est postérieure, et les monnaies retrouvées dans les réservoirs de la ville de Nîmes, où étaient recueillies les eaux de l'aqueduc, ne sont pas antérieures au règne de l'empereur Claude (41-54). On pense donc que la construction de l'aqueduc dont fait partie le pont du Gard doit se situer entre les années 40 et 505. On estime à mille le nombre d'ouvriers, travaillant sur cinq années intenses.
Son débit moyen a été estimé à 40 000 mètres cubes d'eau par jour2, soit 400 litres d'eau par seconde. L'eau courante mettait une journée entière pour parvenir par gravité de son point de captage jusqu'à l'ouvrage de répartition, sorte de château d'eau appelé castellum divisorium, encore visible rue de la Lampèze à Nîmes. Nemausus possédait un certain nombre de puits, ainsi qu'une source proche : la construction de l'aqueduc ne relevait donc pas d'une nécessité vitale, mais plutôt d'un ouvrage de prestige, destiné à l'alimentation des thermes, bains, jardins et autres fontaines de la ville. De fait le pont symbolise le génie scientifique romain. Le défi était d'autant plus grand que le pont devait résister aux crues redoutables du Gardon.
Powerpoint de Nicole mis en vidéo par Jean Marc Coquelle
Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and, along with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The aqueduct bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre (31 mi) system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because of the uneven terrain between the two points, the mostly underground aqueduct followed a long, winding route that called for a bridge across the gorge of the Gardon River. The bridge has three tiers of arches, stands 48.8 m (160 ft) high, and descends a mere 2.5 centimetres (1 in) a gradient of only 1 in 18,241 – while the whole aqueduct descends in height by only 12.6 m (41 ft) over its entire length, which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve, using simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m3 (8,800,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the Roman Empire collapsed and the aqueduct fell into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact, due to the importance of its secondary function, as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep, in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century, and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions, and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River, from which it takes its name. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. The bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 17 m (56 ft) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 cm (0.98 in) a gradient of only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 (44,000,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It continued to be used possibly until the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River, from which it takes its name. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. The bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 17 m (56 ft) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 cm (0.98 in) a gradient of only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 (44,000,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It continued to be used possibly until the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Pont du Gard, France, with local guide
Pont du Gard in the south of France, is one of the great sights from ancient Rome, the second-highest building they ever constructed. We get a local perspective from our French guide Marc Jonas, with Provence Réservation, who explains the amazing aqueduct and the history. Pont du Gard is part of an ancient, 26 mile water channel about in length, built mostly on or beneath the ground to carry water to Nimes. The Romans constructed this bridge across the valley about 2,000 years ago to maintain an even flow of water with just a very slight change in level, dropping only about one inch every 300 feet. This engineering feat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The river valley here is just really quite gorgeous - you have the forest and the rocky shores on both sides, which makes it a very picturesque setting. It's a huge structure with the enormous volume of stone. It's a local limestone. It was quarried from just about a quarter-mile away from the bridge itself and there's it as much volume of solid stone here equal to the solid volume of the Eiffel tower. That's how big it is, they measured it at 21,000 m³ of rock that ways 50,000 tons huge structure. Tour conducted by Provence Reservations
Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River, from which it takes its name. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. The bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 17 m (56 ft) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 cm (0.98 in) a gradient of only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 (44,000,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It continued to be used possibly until the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km to the Roman colony of Nemausus. It crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, and one of the best preserved.
Gard Bridge, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Europe
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River, from which it takes its name. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département of southern France. The bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long (31 mi) structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because the terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is, with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, standing 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only 17 m (56 ft) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 cm (0.98 in) a gradient of only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 200,000 m3 (44,000,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. It continued to be used possibly until the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but lack of maintenance after the 4th century meant that it became increasingly clogged by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers using it to cross the river, although some of its stones were looted and serious damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of literary and artistic visitors.
Le pont du Gard - Vers-Pont-du-Gard
Le pont du Gard est un pont à trois niveaux destiné au passage d'un aqueduc romain. Il est situé à Vers-Pont-du-Gard entre Uzès et Remoulins, non loin de Nîmes, dans le département français du Gard. Il enjambe le Gardon. Probablement bâti dans la première moitié du ier siècle, il assurait la continuité de l'aqueduc romain qui conduisait l’eau d’Uzès à Nîmes. D'après les dernières recherches, il aurait cessé d'être utilisé au début du vie siècle.
Au Moyen Âge, les piles du second étage furent échancrées afin que l'ouvrage soit utilisé comme pont routier. Dès le xvie siècle, l'architecture exceptionnelle du pont du Gard ayant attiré l'attention, l'ouvrage bénéficia dès lors de restaurations régulières destinées à préserver son intégrité. Un pont routier lui fut accolé en 1743-1747. Plus haut pont-aqueduc connu du monde romain, il fait l'objet d'un classement au titre des monuments historiques par la liste de 18401 et a été inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco en décembre 1985
Le pont du Gard est la partie monumentale d'un aqueduc de plus de 52 km de longueur (52 702 m), qui apportait l'eau de la Fontaine d'Eure, située au pied d'Uzès, jusqu'à la ville romaine de Nemausus, aujourd'hui Nîmes4, alors à son apogée. Les eaux de la source proviennent en partie de la rivière d'Alzon, qui passe par les environs d'Uzès, et des eaux récoltées du mont Bouquet, situé plus près d'Alès. L'aqueduc proprement dit est un chef-d'œuvre d'ingénierie, témoignage de l'extraordinaire maîtrise des constructeurs anciens : le dénivelé entre les points de départ et d'arrivée n'est que de 12,6 m, la pente moyenne générale étant de 24,8 cm par km. À cause du relief, l'aqueduc serpente à travers les petites montagnes et vallées des garrigues d'Uzès et de Nîmes5.
L'aqueduc de Nîmes a sans doute été construit au ier siècle de notre ère, comme en atteste la céramique. Des tunnels datant de l'époque d'Auguste ont dû être contournés, ce qui montre que la construction de l'aqueduc est postérieure, et les monnaies retrouvées dans les réservoirs de la ville de Nîmes, où étaient recueillies les eaux de l'aqueduc, ne sont pas antérieures au règne de l'empereur Claude (41-54). On pense donc que la construction de l'aqueduc dont fait partie le pont du Gard doit se situer entre les années 40 et 506. On estime à mille le nombre d'ouvriers, travaillant sur cinq années intenses.
Son débit moyen a été estimé à 40 000 mètres cubes d'eau par jour3, soit 400 litres d'eau par seconde. L'eau courante mettait une journée entière pour parvenir par gravité de son point de captage jusqu'à l'ouvrage de répartition, sorte de château d'eau appelé castellum divisorium, encore visible rue de la Lampèze à Nîmes. Nemausus possédait un certain nombre de puits, ainsi qu'une source proche : la construction de l'aqueduc ne relevait donc pas d'une nécessité vitale, mais plutôt d'un ouvrage de prestige, destiné à l'alimentation des thermes, bains, jardins et autres fontaines de la ville. De fait le pont symbolise le génie scientifique romain. Le défi était d'autant plus grand que le pont devait résister aux crues redoutables du Gardon.
Dès le ive siècle cependant, l'entretien commença à faire défaut, tandis que des dépôts calcaires occupaient les deux tiers, parfois les trois quarts, de la conduite. On estime à présent qu'il avait cessé de fonctionner au commencement du vie siècle, à l'époque où, à la suite de la bataille de Vouillé, les Francs prirent le contrôle de la région d'Uzès, tandis que les Wisigoths se maintenaient à Nîmes : on a retrouvé des céramiques contemporaines dans les couches d'abandon, et l'aqueduc servit alors de carrière de pierre (des concrétions détachées des parois du canal ont été utilisées par les riverains pour leurs propres constructions et pour couvrir des sarcophages du cimetière de Saint-Baudile à Nîmes)