Pont Du Gard In The Languedoc
The Pont du Gard is a must see if you're travelling to the Languedoc.
The Romans have left many memorials in the south of France , not least in the very name of Provence , which comes from the Roman, "Provincia Romana". None of these memorials are as magnificent as the Pont du Gard. It was, and still is, a wonder of the ancient world.
It was actually built as an aqueduct to carry water to Nimes , from Uzes, a distance of over thirty miles. The aqueduct has now disappeared and the bridge portion over the river Gard is all that's left.
The Construction started around 20BC on the orders of Agrippa, when Nimes was expanding as a settlement after the Octavian wars. It is nearly two hundred feet high, made of three tiers, the top one carrying the water channel, and took around five years to construct.
Today the Pont du Gard stands proudly as a testament to a time of great engineering feats accomplished without the luxury of today's tools and building techniques.
The stones used to build this mighty landmark would have all been cut by hand, a feat in itself when you see the size of them. What's more, the stones are fashioned and then positioned in such a way that no mortar was used to hold them together. Just good old fashioned building sense.
The Pont du Gard was inscribed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) into it's world heritage list as a structure of architectural and historical importance.
Recently a new complex opened at the sight. The "Grand Expo" includes an interactive museum about Roman life and the use of water, a 25 minute film and a cafe to tempt you with cold drinks in the heat of summer.
While there is no cost for the Pont du Gard (except parking), the Expo costs about 15€ (includes parking), with discounts for families. While the Expo closes before dark you can stay on the grounds until midnight.
A real treat is to stay into the evening to see this ancient wonder illuminated against the night sky.
Getting to Pont Du Gard In The Languedoc
You can find the Pont du Gard on Michelin map No: 339,
Grid reference: M5
Or click here to see a basic location map
For lots of other Languedoc sightseeing ideas and to understand what these map points refer to, click here to go to my page on Languedoc sightseeing
