... Beautiful view of one of the iconic masterpieces of Roman architecture and engineering... it is the highest of all Roman aqueducts and one of the best preserved... the only example of an ancient 3-storey bridge still standing today... nestled in a beautiful natural setting with the Gardon River flowing beneath... the bridge was part of the 50 km aqueduct to provide Nimes (Nemausus) with fresh mountain water during the Roman period... it took just 5 years to build and was in use for a good five centuries... a museum have been set up at the entrance of the site and offers greats explanations and testimonies of the Roman life, the building of the bridge and its techniques...it is nowadays one France's most popular tourist attractions with one million visitors every year...Thanks a lot Nadia! (✿◠‿◠)
Photo: © Jürgen Richter
This ancient Roman aqueduct was built in the 1st Century AD made of Shelly limestone. It has three levels of arches stacked on top of each other. The bridge stands about 40 meters tall and 274 m long. The aqueduct was likely used until the 6th century AD.
Over time, it became clogged with minerals and debris. This happened because people stopped maintaining it after the 4th century. Eventually, the water stopped flowing. After the Roman Empire ended, the Pont du Gard was still useful. It became a toll bridge for people to cross the river. Local lords and bishops took care of it for centuries. They charged a fee to travelers who used the bridge. Some of its stones were taken over time, and it was damaged in the 17th century. Many repairs happened between the 18th and 21st centuries.
The Pont du Gard has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985.
The 20th Anniversary of the Death of Georges Perec, 1936-1982
(23-09-2002)
Wooden Figures of Lambesc
(Issued 09-10-1993)
The 100th Anniversary of the Death of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
(Issued 08-09-2001)
No comments:
Post a Comment