Pont du Gard

The Pont of Gard is a portion of Roman Aqueduc arranged in bridge on three levels located in the south of the common France of Towards-Bridge-of-Gard, close to Remoulins, Nimes and Uzès, in the department of the Gard. It spans the Gardon, or Gard, and ensures the continuity of the Roman Aqueduc which led the water of Uzès to Nimes.

Structure

Built over three stages with the stones extracted on the very spot in the surrounding Roman careers, the bridge dominates the Gard with nearly 49 m in height over a length of 275 Mr. C' is the most known aqueduct bridge of the Roman world, and was to even be longer in the beginning, since the end side left bank was truncated of more than 100 Mr. At this place, the bridge spans the Gardon (or Gard).

lower Stage: 6 arches, 142,35 m length, 6,36 m thickness, 21,87 m height
average Stage: 11 arches, 242,55 m length, 4,56 m thickness, 19,50 m height
Upper floor: 35 arches, 275 m length, 3,06 m thickness, 7,40 m height

The opening of the arches of the first two levels is identical since the piles of the arches of the 2nd stage are posed in the axis of the piles of the first to give him more base. Their opening is variable and passes from 24,52 m for those which span the river, to 19,50 m for those which follow them, narrowest will not measure more that 15,50 Mr. On the other hand, the opening of the arches of the upper floor have a constant opening of 4,80 Mr.

The first two levels are entirely composed in large apparatus as well as the piles of the third until the departure of the arches. These blocks of more than fifty centimetres thickness, exceed sometimes the two meters length, which confers to them a weight of approximately six tons. By observing carefully the inner face of the pillars, one discovers the work of the Roman builders easily: techniques of size of the blocks (traces of blow of escoude) and techniques of construction (blocks posed in square and projecting header and blocks for the installation of the scaffolding). While approaching, one can only be filled with wonder at the precision of dry assembly of the blocks: each block was assembled with different by the chiselling of the joints on the spot.

The stone of Worms used with the construction of the bridge came from the neighbouring careers: it is about a shelly Calcaire of a rather coarse texture and lending itself very well to the size. Many traces and engravings strew surface with the bridge. They are especially figures and letters representing the numbers and the sites of the stones which were cut, perhaps to the careers even (because there is not much place around Gardon), before being hoisted in their place. One can read in particular on the piles and under the vault, of the reference marks of the kind: I, II, III, IV, etc or FRSIII, FRDIV, meaning “fronte will sinistra, fronte will dextra”. One also finds registered these three words superimposed and on the mysterious significance: LIE TOTUM CORIUM. That seems to mean that the whole of the work was measured. With two meters of the top of the fourth pile of the second stage, starting from Right Bank, quite visible while resting against the parapet of the road, one sees a small low relief representing a phallus. It is about a rather current sculpture on the Roman monuments; there are of them also several with the arenas of Nimes, preserving against the evil eye. This sculpture is more known here under the name of “hare of the Bridge of Gard” since Frederic Mistral built around him a legend. The other inscriptions and drawings are due to the builders Compagnons of the Duty, or companions of the Tour de France, which restored the Bridge of Gard at last century. Lastly, one finds, obviously, of the graffiti contemporaries.

The lower piles are posed directly on the rock which is dry in period of low water level in order to avoid any work of erosion. It may be that the river bed was even dug so that water does not reach the base of the piles. But the Romans had heard of the spectacular risings of Gardon, also provided the piles with triangular bottoms of pier-heads of ten meters in height to split the current. This height, although remarkable, was insufficient at the time of the gigantic risings of 1958 which caused the death of 35 people. The level of water reached, this day, the base of the piles of the second stage but the old monument remained upright, inébranlable, whereas many other bridges, of which that of Remoulins, were carried by this “gardonnade” historical. The bridge of Gard presents, upstream, a light convexity so, perhaps, better resisting thorough of the current.

The aqueduct itself is built in small hardcores. The drain is 1,20 m broad and 1,85 m in height with some 0,85 m thickness jambs. It is covered by some 0,35 m thickness overflowing flagstones for 1 m broad and 3,65 m length. An important detail is to be noted here. The height interns was at the origin of approximately 1,30 m, but at the time of the setting in water, this one went up too high, even overflowed of the drain, at least at certain periods of the year. This unforeseen obliged them to raise the jambs in small hardcores a wholesale thickness apparatus of 60 cm quite visible inside. Outside, one also sees very well the heightening because it created a second edge.

History

The bridge of Gard belonged to a Aqueduc of almost 50 km length, which brought water of the spring of Uzès (the precise point of collecting is not known) to the Roman city of Nemausus , today called Nimes. The aqueduct of Nimes was undoubtedly built at our era, as several evidence attests some. Tunnels dating from the time of Auguste had to be circumvented, which shows that the construction of the aqueduct is posterior. Moreover, the coins found in the tanks of the town of Nimes, where water of the aqueduct was collected, do not go back to before the time from the Emperor Claude (41-54). It is thus thought today that the aqueduct, to which belonged the Bridge of Gard, was set up between 40 and 60.

The source was located only 12m above the level of the tanks of the city. The Romans thus had to show a high degree of accuracy to allow water to run out by gravity to Nimes. The complete aqueduct has a slope of 34 cm to the kilometer, that is to say 1/3 000, which is a remarkable technological exploit. It has a sinuous way to be able to benefit the maximum of the reliefs (as the crow flies, Uzès is only to 20 km of Nimes). The bridge itself was built so that water can cross the small valley of the Gardon, bringing 20.000 cubic meters of water per day to Nimes. The running water spent one day whole to arrive by Gravité of its point of collecting located at the Fountain of the Eure, near of Uzès, until the work of distribution still visible street of Lampèze with Nimes and called Castellum . Nemausus included/understood a certain number of well, as well as a close source: the construction of the aqueduct thus did not concern a vital need but a work of prestige, intended for the food of the thermal baths, baths and others fountains of the city.

Construction

It was entirely built without the assistance of mortar, the stones - of which some weigh six tons - being maintained thanks to iron piles. They are in Calcaire to cockle, resulting from a career located at less than one kilometer of the Monument, the career of Estel. The blocks were assembled thanks to a Roue in which the workmen walked, bringing the power necessary to the Treuil. To support the bridge during construction, a complex scaffolding was set up. The frontage of the aqueduct always carries the marks of its construction in the form of supports of scaffolding and projecting edges on the pillars which accommodated the semicircular wood assemblies intended for the maintenance of the vaults. One supposes that construction lasted approximately about fifteen years years, with 800 to 1.000 workmen on the building site. Approximately 50.400 tons of blocks of stones were used.

The Project superintendent unknown, , was to be a remarkable engineer. The bridge of Gard indeed presents a single characteristic in antiquity: each one of its large vaults is in fact made up of coupled vaults independent (four on the lower floor, three on the second floor), which gives to the unit the capacity to adapt to the light movements and inevitable compressings in time. With the excellence of the foundations and construction, it is probably what made it possible the bridge of Gard to resist the centuries. This partition of the vault out of rings independent from/to each other meets only in Narbonnese (Roman bridges of Sommières, Boisseron, Ambrussum, Nages and Solorgues).

The water pipeline, located at the third level, has a made floor of mortar and stones and walls out of hardcores. The sealing is ensured by another mortar of reddish color (mortar of sealing to the Tuileau). Its size made it possible a man to easily ensure maintenance of it.

This method of construction is comparable with that which was used centuries later for the Cathédrale S, and one can still see marks today indicating the position of the stones to be placed, for example, “FRS II” ( will frons will sinistra II , i.e. “left face 2”)

Progressive degradation

It is not very probable that the aqueduct of Nimes could function normally more few centuries. It would not have fed the town of Nimes beyond the 5th century. The last studies made it possible to recall the history of this formidable building: Construction in the middle of the first century of our era. Adjustment of operation during second half of the century with a heightening height of the drain of 60 cm over length a 6 km, 50 years after construction. Then one period of normal functioning which was completed at the third century. Lastly, a last period when the aqueduct functioned occasionally and with a water flow extremely limited before being definitively abandoned at the end of the fifth century or at the beginning of the sixth.

Indeed, at this time, several phenomena coincide, signing the death warrant of the aqueduct Initially, the Roman Empire disappears and, with him, its civilization. Then the cruel hordes come from the east devastate the country. At the 5th century, Nimes is with the hands of the Visigoths (whereas Uzès is held by the Francs which will sow terror). Its population will be reduced then to a few thousands of inhabitants. The water provided by the aqueduct will not be necessary any more, that of the fountain will largely be enough. One can recall here that Nimes will be satisfied, during many centuries, of his source, his wells and his cisterns since it is only at the end of the 19th century that the city will receive a new water conveyance coming from the the Rhone.

If the invaders of this time sowed panic in the cities and the campaigns, it does not seem that they for destroyed the aqueduct as much. On the other hand, this one underwent other depredations: initially, the Calcareous deposit which is thick by places of 50 each side centimetres, reduced the volume of flow appreciably. Indeed, water of the Fountain of the Eure, although of a great purity, crosses the grounds limestones of the scrubland, limestone which will settle on the walls and the bottom of the drain.

In the same way, nature seriously degraded the aqueduct and one sees, on certain sections, in particular between Towards and the Bridge of Gard, of the whole pieces which collapsed. They are not cataclysms, even if the great earthquake of year 145 could have heavy consequences on the operation of the aqueduct, but they are rather the movements of ground, the vegetation, the roots of the trees, erosion, moisture which gradually have, with time, damaged in an irreversible way work of art.

Lastly, it is also the man who deteriorated it. At its beginnings, whereas it functioned normally, the aqueduct was very monitored and constantly maintained. There was a kind of “No man' S Land” on both sides of the aqueduct where nobody could reach. Heavy fines sanctioned the possible contraveners (100,000 Sesterce S for any depredation or diversion of water, tells us Frontin).

On the other hand, one can think that at the time of the decline of the empire, the aqueduct neither was maintained any more, nor supervised. Indeed, as of the third century, one attends overall a progressive abandonment of the use of the public buildings. For example, it is in 365 qu ' took place last work on the Via Domitia. The private individuals then diverted the water of the aqueduct by punctures involving of enormous concretions of which some exceed 200 m3 and this as of the third century.

Later, when the population of Nimes is reduced to a few thousands of individuals, the aqueduct does not function any more, made useless and in bad condition. In fact then whole pieces of the building are recovered. Between 1150 and 1200, a systematic destruction of the aqueduct is operated by the monks and of the monks builders, for the construction of monasteries and other religious buildings.

In addition, it was always used like sees passage. This chapter of the history of the Bridge of Gard was lengthily treated by Emile Espérandieu, author of the first work of synthesis on the aqueduct of Nimes, soon 100 years ago. In the beginning, the Bridge of Gard was only built to support the aqueduct bringing the water of Uzès to Nimes. However, one can think that as of the beginning, of the travellers borrowed it to cross Gardon. It is also known there that, in addition, of the vats also allowed to cross the river to this place.

In 1295, a right of toll, yielded to the lord of Uzès by Philippe the Beautiful one, sanctioned those which used it.

However, a drawing of Jean Poldo d' Albenas, in 1557, watch that the piles of the second rank of arches were largely indented in order to allow the passage of the attachments. This passage existed perhaps already in 1295 because the rights of tolls more taxed transport with the goods the simple travellers.

Safeguarding, Maintenance and Restoration of an Inheritance of Humanity

Charles IX passes in front of the bridge in December 1564 at the time of royal sound Tour de France (1564 - 1566), accompanied by the Cour and Large by the kingdom: his/her brother the duke of Anjou, Henri de Navarre, cardinal of Bourbon and Lorraine. Nymphs little vêtues give him a representation.

But at the XVIIe century, considering rightly that the reduction of the section of the piles constituted a threat of collapse of the building, the States of the Languedoc decided to clog the piles and to make in their axis of the corbellings to allow the crossing of the bridge. However, these corbellings were too narrow for the passage of the carriages.

A half century later, in front of the need increasingly pressing for a true lane, the General states decide to build a road joined with the bridge with height of the second rank. The work directed by engineer Pitot was undertaken of 1743 to 1747. Unfortunately, still no work of restoration was undertaken and the beautiful building was in a deplorable state. Whole pieces of the aqueduct had disappeared, especially on the level of the third stage, it was bored holes and cracks, the water which streamed disaggregated the blocks of limestone, the chief of work became a ruin.

In 1834, Prosper Mérimée which was going to be appointed managing director of the historic buildings visited the Bridge of Gard and the idea was subjected to him of a general restoration of the monument. But this one involved considerable work and of a high cost. Also, it could only carry out minor repairs of filling, between 1843 and 1845, under the direction of Charles Questel with whom one however owes the spiral staircase of left bank giving access the third stage. Also, an exploration of the whole of the aqueduct started in 1846, under the direction of the hydraulic engineer Leon Dombre.

Nevertheless, the starting idea made its way gently and the emperor Napoleon III, passing by-there in 1852, fell, him also, under the charm of the old building and let himself convince of the need for a total restoration of this single witness of the size of a late empire.

New work was undertaken of 1855 to 1857 per Jean-Charles Laisné who had to show an energy equivalent to that of the builders of the monument so much this one was in bad condition. The infiltrations were such as rain water had corroded the stones so much so that certain voussoirs had decreased by a third of volume. One realized that the monument which, first of all, presented already a pitiful frontage, threatened, in fact, to collapse. Espérandieu tells this anecdote “With the resumption of the ninth arcade, when one put at discovered the old voussoirs hidden by the plastering of the beginning of the 18th century, such a spectacle was offered to the workmen whom they fled terrified. Two voussoirs of the band of the medium were lacking; the two parts of this band were connected more only by two props whose nearest destruction had not failed to involve that of the vault”.

The vaults, their cover, the piles, all was taken again, consolidated or replaced. To finish, it was decided to completely separate the new road from the Bridge of the Gard to which it had been directly joined by Pitot, so that water streaming on the road does not run out on the bridge.

The whole of work had required the installation of 2500 m3 stones of which more half with a height higher than 20 meters, and had finally cost approximately 200.000 Francs gold.

Since, the Bridge of Gard is the subject of a constant monitoring and, recently still, some delicate work was made in order to reinforce two piles whose rocks which support them were attacked by the water run-off of Gardon.

The bridge of Gard belongs to the world heritage of humanity since 1985.

In 1998 and 2002, the bridge of Gard was touched by violent Inondation S damaging the surroundings, but not causing any damage with the structure of the building.

The French government financed in 2000, within the framework of an operation Grand national site , with the assistance of local government agencies, of UNESCO and the European Union, a project of installation of the site, in order to ensure the safeguarding of this exceptional site, very attended, and threatened of this fact by the surge of the tourists, making it available only to the pedestrians around the aqueduct and improving the Infrastructure S intended for the tourists with, inter alia, a Musée. The project was criticized at its cost (32 million euros) and for l'" attack with the paysage". However, the two buildings are overlapping in the rock and imitate its color; they are invisible one for the other, so precisely not disfiguring the site. Lastly, an special attention was paid to the landscape which, degraded by tourism of mass was restored and emphasized by a course. Lastly, it is from now on impossible to go in control at the top of the aqueduct, not to weaken its structure. It is about the one of the most visited monuments French, with 1,4 million tourists in 2001. This installation was conceived by the Architecte Jean-Paul Viguier.

The management of the site is ensured by the Chamber of commerce and of industry of Nimes-Bagnols-Uzès it Vigan.

The Bridge of Gard seen by the writers

“After a lunch of excellent figs, I taken a guide and I went to see the Bridge of Gard. It was the first work of the Romans whom I had seen. I expected to see a monument worthy of the hands who had built it. For the blow, the object passed my waiting and it was the only time of my life. It belonged only to the Romans to produce this effect. The art of this simple and noble work struck me more especially as it is in the middle of a desert where silence and loneliness return the object more striking and sharper admiration, because this alleged bridge was only one aqueduct. One wonders which force transported these enormous stones so far from any career and joined together the arms of so many thousands of men in a place where he does not live any of it. I traversed three floors of this superb building which the respect almost prevented me from daring to press under my feet… The repercussion of my steps under these immense vaults made me believe to hear the voice of those which had built them. I lost myself like an insect in this vastness. I felt, while me making small, I do not know what which raised me the heart and I said myself: " How I am not Romain! " ” . Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the Confessions, I left era, Delivers VI, 1782.

“Happily for the pleasure of the traveller born for arts, on some side which its sight extends, it meets any trace of dwelling, no appearance of culture: thyme, the wild lavender, the genévrier, only productions of this desert, exhale their solitary perfumes under a sky of a dazzling serenity. The heart is left very whole with itself, and the attention is brought back inevitably to this work of the people-king whom one has under the eyes” . Stendhal, Memories of a tourist, 1837.

“Suddenly we saw above the dark foliage of the holm oaks and the olive-trees, being detached on a blue sky, two or three arches, with hot and yellowish color: it was the head of the Roman giant. We continued to advance, and with the first elbow which the mountain made, we embraced it in any sound together, with hundred step about of us” . Alexandre Dumas, South of France, 1837-1841.

“I gave all my attention to this imposing construction. One approaches some very near before seeing it: the ravine which it spans opens abruptly and discovers the spectacle, which becomes then of an extreme beauty” . Henry James, Voyage in France, 1877.

“the wild site, the complete loneliness of the place, the noise of the torrent added a sublime poetry to the imposing architecture which was offered to my eyes” . Mérimée, Notes of a voyage in the South of France, 1835.

See too

The back of the ticket of 5 Euro S resembles much the bridge of the gard

Internal bonds

Roman Architecture
List of the Roman aqueducts
Aqueduct of Tarragone
Aqueducts of Rome
Aqueduct of Eiffel
Aqueduct of Gier
List of Roman monuments

External bonds

Site very complete on the whole of the Aqueduct of Nimes
Another site, very complete and documented very well
Structurae: Bridge of Gard
free of the Bridge Of Gard to re-use free (on the site of the Educational channel)
an article in connection with the restoration of the site on cyberarchi.com
Nemausensis - an old description of the Bridge of Gard
Official site of the bridge of Gard

Sources of the article

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