Rising excessive above the Gardon River within the Gard, southern France, the Pont du Gard is without doubt one of the most extraordinary surviving buildings of the Roman world. Nearly 2,000 years outdated, and virtually completely preserved, this golden-hued construction is an engineering masterpiece and the sight of it takes your breath away. Uncover the Pont du Gard – a bridge to the traditional world.
Historical past of the Pont du Gard
I began my exploration of this magnificent monument on the fascinating Pont du Gard Museum, a brief stroll from the aqueduct. Aside from a few artefacts, the exhibition is new, however don’t let that put you off, it’s an unbelievable show that options “sections of the bridge”, explains the way it was constructed, the day and age and extra. It’s interactive, revolutionary and except somebody tells you that what’s within the museum isn’t truly Roman, you in all probability wouldn’t know – the rooms are dimmed as if every part is actual and the reveals are constructed utilizing the identical stone the Romans used, from the identical (hidden) quarry 600m away. And the largest shock for me was discovering that the Pont du Gard was not a novel achievement within the space, the Romans constructed many aqueducts right here, a number of of which stay.
Within the 1st century AD, the Roman metropolis of Nemausus – modern-day Nîmes – was a thriving metropolis of about 30,000 inhabitants and huge portions of recent water have been wanted for consuming, bathing, fountains and public life. However that was an issue – there was no appropriate native water supply on the proper elevation.
The answer was daring and bold. Roman engineers sourced water from the Fontaine d’Eure close to Uzès and designed an enormous aqueduct system to hold all of it the best way to Nîmes, which although solely round 20km away because the crow flies, required the water to be carried over a distance of round 50km.
The Pont du Gard was probably the most dramatic a part of that journey, constructed to hold the water channel throughout the deep Gardon valley – the very best Roman aqueduct in existence.
The water needed to move purely by gravity, and the engineers couldn’t design it in a straight line due to the numerous pure obstacles together with hills and deep valleys. The route wanted to curve and wind however be exact, in order that they created tunnels and several other aqueducts. Astonishingly the incline over all the route was solely 12 metres and by the point it reached Nîmes, the system was delivering an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 cubic metres of water each day, the move managed by a collection of doorways that have been opened and shut as required. It was genius.
Rising to almost 50 metres excessive, the bridge spans three tiers of arches – 52 in whole. However what really amazes engineers immediately is the way it was constructed – a whopping 50,000 tons of limestone and blocks minimize so exactly that no mortar was wanted, and the stones are held collectively purely by weight, friction and ideal becoming. All the things was quarried domestically and assembled with outstanding effectivity by a workforce estimated to be 800 to 1,000 sturdy.
And it was in use for nearly 500 years.
Uncover the Pont du Gard – a bridge to the previous
Armed with this data and extra, I set off to see the actual factor. Nothing prepares you for the sight of this astronomical bridge if you see it for actual. It’s thoughts boggling and has had a fame for being one of many wonders of France for hundreds of years. King Louis XIV visited in 1660; King Louis XVI was so impressed by it he commissioned a drawing for the eating room on the Chateau of Fontainebleau. When Napoleon III visited in 1850, he commanded that it’s restored and preserved for future generations to admire.
Standing earlier than this majestic constructing, it’s not onerous to see how their majesties felt humbled by its magnificence.
And, it’s not onerous to think about how powerful it will need to have been to construct the Aqueduct of Pont du Gard. Even in early September after I visited, the solar was blazing and a bit café on the base of the bridge was doing a roaring commerce promoting bottles of water. I shut my eyes and imagined the lads who labored right here, chopping stone, transporting it to this treacherous website, shaping the rocks into monumental bricks (some weighing as much as 6 tons), chopping, pushing, pulling them into place, climbing ever increased to construct a three-story aqueduct, come rain or shine for 5 lengthy years. I ponder if the builders have been happy with what they created when the water began flowing alongside the canal – or did they simply assume “thank the Gods that’s over.” Their work was of the very best customary, if these workmen got here again immediately, they’d recognise their handiwork. Although they could see a change to the primary stage of the bridge.
Appropriate for Roman chariots however not for horse-drawn cannons. The primary stage was widened within the 18th century. Astonishingly it turned a part of the D986 highway, and vehicles, coaches and caravans have been in a position to drive over it till as late as 1996!
Now this UNESCO world heritage constructing is car-free, and you’ll stroll throughout it – as greater than 1,000,000 folks do every year. It offers you goosebumps to be right here, the identical form of wow issue because the Eiffel Tower, folks simply cease and stare as they method, mesmerised by the sheer scale of Pont du Gard, however it has emotional pull too, you may’t assist however consider the years which have handed, the individuals who have handed and the historical past that has taken place because it was constructed.
The Satan’s bridge?
Individuals up to now appear to have been considerably cynical concerning the skills of builders and generally claimed that they will need to have finished a cope with the satan to get the job finished – particularly bridges! And that’s the case with the Pont du Gard. The Romans positioned a stone with the define of a rabbit believed to keep off the evil eye. However within the Center Ages the legend unfold that Lucifer provided to assist the builder if he agreed that the primary soul to cross the bridge would belong to the satan himself. The builder’s canny spouse steered that for the reason that evil one had not specified the soul of a human, they need to merely pop a rabbit on the bridge if you recognize the place to look you might spot the stone!
Stroll contained in the Pont du Gard
E-book a go to with a information and climb the 80 steps to achieve the highest of the bridge and stroll contained in the 275m lengthy water channel – a really particular expertise. As soon as lined with result in waterproof the partitions (there are nonetheless traces of it) the canal is slim in locations and was coated to cease the water evaporating. It’s extraordinary how the Romans created one thing that required such exact measurements. Although it seems that even Roman genius architects generally get it fallacious, you may see the road on the canal wall the place that they had so as to add a brand new layer of stone to lift the extent, it was too low! However that takes nothing away from the gorgeous achievement.
You’ll be able to simply make a day of it right here with a number of locations to take a break: there are customer centres on both aspect of the river; Les Terrasses restaurant (ebook prematurely, it’s common), a bistro and terraces on the best financial institution the place you may take pleasure in a snack, ice cream and so forth. – all providing fabulous views of the aqueduct. Rent a kayak : (there are a number of corporations in Collias and Remoulins a couple of minutes by automobile), and float underneath the bridge for one more perspective. And there are year-round occasions from a summer season sound and lightweight present to concert events and festivals.
This actually is a bridge to the previous – and it’s fairly merely, breath-taking.
Discover all of the details about the Pont du Gard web site, and the villages and locations of curiosity to discover within the surrounding space, at: www.uzes-pontdugard.com/en
Janine Marsh is an writer and Editor of The Good Life France journal and web site.
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