Online dictionary of France travel and tourism: roman remains

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Arles amphitheater

French words: Arènes d'Arles , Amphithéâtre d'Arles
alternative words: Arles arena, Arles
keywords: human heritage , roman remains , southern france , theater , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.arenes-arles.com , http://www.memo.fr/LieuAVisiter.asp?ID=VIS_FRA_ARL_003
explanation: Built at the same epoch as the city's foundation as a Roman colony in 46 BC, Arles arena was one of the largest in Roman empire (136x107m). Thanks to an ingenious combination of galleries and stairs, 21000 persons could watch spectacles. During Middle Ages, the arena was squatted by several hundreds of people but cleaned up only in 19th century. Now it is served to organize music concerts and bull fighting (tauromachie). Since 1981, all the antic monuments of Arles belongs to a human heritage of UNESCO.

Gard bridge

French words: Pont du Gard
alternative words: Gard aqueduct, Pont du Gard
keywords: human heritage , roman remains , southern france , tourist resort
related topics: Nimes
related web sites: http://www.vers-pont-du-gard.fr/afterintro.htm , http://www.vers-pont-du-gard.fr/tpatrimoine11.php , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_du_Gard
explanation: Gard bridge was built by Romans between 40 and 60 A. D. over Gardon river in order to bring waters to Nimes city located 25km south-west in Gard prefecture. The length of aqueduct was about 50km with gradient of only 34cm per km and it delivered 20,000 m3 per day. The bridge height is 47m with arches of 3 levels and the length is 275m. After the collapse of Roman empire, the aqueduct has been no more maintained and during Middle ages, the bridge was used only as a road to pass another side of the river.

Maison Carree

French words: Maison Carrée
alternative words: Square house
keywords: church , roman remains , southern france , tourist resort
related topics: Nimes , Madeleine church
related web sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maison_Carree , http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/O0000781.html
explanation: Built at the forum of Nimes around 19 B.C. by a Roman general, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, for the memory of his 2 sons, died very young, Maison Carree is one of the Roman monuments best preserved until now. Raised on a podium of 3m high, Maison Carree was a classic Augustan temple with 26m long by 15m wide, but transformed to a Christian church in 4th century. Hubert Robert drew a mythical ambience of this temple in his painting of 1787. Madeleine church in Paris has been inspired by Maison Carree.

Nimes

French words: Nîmes
keywords: roman remains , southern france , tourist resort , town
related topics: Gard bridge , Nimes amphitheater , Maison Carree , TGV
related web sites: http://www.nimes.fr , http://www.ot-nimes.fr
explanation: Nimes had been an important Roman city in southern France on the route linking Italy and Spain, as many vestiges witness it, such as amphitheater and Gard bridge. It was called 'Colonia Nemausus' (Colony from the Nile) because Roman legionary veterans from Egypt settled there. For a short time, Nimes had been occupied by Saracens but liberated by Pippin III in 754. Being a center of wine production, Nimes is the capital of Gard prefecture and the population 133000. Nimes is now from Paris in 3 hours by TGV.

Nimes amphitheater

French words: Arènes de Nîmes , Amphithéâtre de Nîmes
alternative words: Nimes arena
keywords: roman remains , southern france , theater , tourist resort
related topics: Nimes
related web sites: http://www.ot-nimes.fr , http://www.idaeus.com/arene_nimes/ , http://www.nimes.fr , http://nemausensis.ifrance.com/NEMAUSENSIS/Nimes/AccueilNimes.htm
explanation: Built around 1st century A.D. the arena of Nimes is one of the best preserved ones among more than 70 Roman amphitheaters known nowadays. Surrounded by 2 level of 60 arches each, it has an oval structure of 133m length, 101m width and 21m height, and could contain 20,000 spectators. In 476, Visigoths transformed it to a fortress. During Middle Ages, the arena was squatted by several hundreds of people but cleaned up by Napoleon. Now it is served to organize music concerts and bull fighting (tauromachie).

Orange antique theater

French words: Théâtre antique d'Orange , Théâtre Romain d'Orange
alternative words: Orange Roman theater, Orange theater, Orange amphitheater
keywords: human heritage , roman remains , southern france , theater , tourist resort
related web sites: http://www.ville-orange.fr , http://www.villa-kerylos.com/orange
explanation: Built in the 1st century under Emperor Augusta's reign, the theater of Orange with 9000 seats is one of the best preserved among Roman remains. It was closed in 391 after a christianization of the Roman empire, then vandalized with an invasion of barbarians. During the middle ages, the theater had been squatted by poor people until 1825 when Prosper Mérimée, responsible of historic monuments, restored it. It has belonged to Unesco's human heritage since 1981 and many outdoor entertainment takes place.

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